


Fairy Survivor

by Upper_Moons_Eye



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Bad Decisions, Bad Ending, Character Death, Dark Character, Dark Comedy, Dark Fantasy, Dark Guild, Dark Past, Death, Horror, Insanity, Killing, Major Original Character(s), Mental Breakdown, Mental Disintegration, Mental Instability, Mind Manipulation, Minor Original Character(s), Murder, Original Character(s), Pre-Canon, Pre-Series, Self-Insert, Series, Tragedy, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:02:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 74,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24614221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Upper_Moons_Eye/pseuds/Upper_Moons_Eye
Summary: Reborn as the 4th child of the Strauss family, Cyrus Strauss plans to enjoy this new world to the fullest. He will live a grand life of adventure as a member of Fiore's most infamous dark guild… Wait, dark guild? Um… I want to join Fairy Tail… Is that Brain? SI/OC Grimoire Heart Dark Fantasy (absolutely no harems)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 122





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.
> 
> I'm starting my first fanfic since I've had this idea bouncing in my head for a while now and I've just wanted to write it to get it out. I plan on writing and posting at least a chapter every couple of days, so hopefully I can churn this out pretty quickly. I'm mainly writing for fun, so while I welcome and would love any feedback, there may be some discrepancies because I don't exactly know Fairy Tail inside and out.
> 
> With that out of the way, Enjoy!

At first, everything was murky, as if my mind was covered by a thick fog. Days melted together and I could hardly tell the difference between when I was awake and when I was asleep. It probably would have been scary had I been able to actually think about it, so looking back I suppose that there are small blessings in everything.

When the fog finally lifted enough for me to register what was going on around me, I was greeted to the sight of a giant white head with soft blue eyes peering at me over a railing. Before I had the chance to wonder who this was and how they were so huge, another, even larger, white head popped up beside her. My surprise was vocalized with some nonsensical babbling that made the giants coo and smile, but it seemed that the world had decided I wasn't surprised enough because a third head joined the peanut gallery. I was beginning to wonder if I had been brought to a cloning factory for white-haired giants, and by the looks on their faces, I feared that I had been brought there as desert.

A few days of cautious observation, traumatic manhandling, and embarrassing but unavoidable mishaps led me to a pretty groundbreaking discovery. I couldn't understand a word anyone said, (I think it was Japanese because some things sounded familiar) but I did hear names, and matching those names to the giant's faces told me all I needed to know.

I had been reborn as the youngest child of the Strauss family.

Yes, Strauss as in the Take Over mages from Fairy Tail in that manga of the same name.

Manga, as in not real.

Mages, as in not real.

Reborn, as in I'M A FREAKIN BABY!

With thoughts like those, my baby days passed in shocked reflection of my past life and what I knew of this new world, all while making adorable babbles with a tongue that wasn't used to words yet.

I don't think that I died in my old world, or at least, I don't remember dying. At some point my memories just kind of trail off and turn hazy like my early infancy. Unlike most stories I've heard about reincarnation, I'm not actually sad about leaving my old life behind. I didn't have a bad life or anything, and I had a pretty good relationship with my family, but that's it. It just wasn't a bad life. I had no dreams or goals, nothing to get me going. It was dull.

Now that I was in a new world, an exciting world, I decided then and there to make the most out of it and just have fun. Earthland is a world with a lot of problems: slavery, organized crime, and literal demons, but it is undeniably an exciting place. Joining Fairy Tail will be the first step to being at the center of that excitement.

I wholeheartedly deny that I had thoughts of how to take a crack at immortality to live here as long as possible. Nothing to see here Ankhserum.

* * *

Anyway, I'm currently 2 years old and am officially known as the Strauss family's perpetual headache. Previously, all my time and effort was spent learning baby things, like walking and talking, but now that I can do both of those things I have unleashed hell. The frustration of not moving for so long has led to my constant attempts at escaping the house for many a grand adventure. Wherein I am swiftly apprehended and returned to either dad or Mira for an earful. Personally, I much prefer dad because Mira is terrifying.

Benjin Strauss is a super cheerful man in his early thirties who never stops smiling, even when he scolds me. I don't think the guy has an angry bone in his body, so I guess Mira must take after mom then. My new mom died in year x771 in childbirth with me apparently, I'm not exactly sad because I never knew her and the rest of the family fills her role for me, but it does worry me. I remember that both of the Strauss parents were dead when Mira absorbed the demon, but no matter how hard I think, I can't remember how they died. All I can do is be prepared and hope that my addition to the family changes something.

"Cyrus, what're you doing now?" an exasperated voice sounds out behind me and an 8-year-old Mira peeks over my shoulder at the drawing I made in the dirt. "A sword?"

"Yep!" I chirp up at her. "I need a sword."

Now hear me out. I understand that as a Strauss, my magic is probably Take Over magic, and I may not be able to hold a sword after transforming. I can only say touche, but this is this and that is that and I still need a sword. I'm in a world of magic and monsters, to not have a sword would be blasphemous. Even Gandalf had one, and he was an old man.

"Nope, I can't think of anything that you need less than a sword." Her dry response tells me exactly how much help she will be in getting me the object of my heart's desire.

"You don't get it," I inform Mira of my disappointment before getting up and walking back to the house to guilt trip dad into taking me down to the town. These Earthland mages have no sense of what's important.

Inside our humble little house, I hear Lisanna and Elfman giggle about something in the kitchen, but I stride right past them to dad's bedroom. My mission will not be deterred. Inside the bedroom, I find my target conked out for an afternoon nap. He got back from hunting late last night and needs to go to town today to sell the furs, and I'm determined to make my social debut today.

Dad is woken up with a vicious attempt on his life via a five star slap on the heart.

"Argh! What the… Cyrus?!" His eyes settle on me, forced to skip the sluggish prelude to wakefulness that usually lingers for hours.

"In the flesh."

"Don't do that Cyrus, papa almost had a heart attack." He rubs the little red handprint on his pale skin. Luckily, my tiny arms don't have the strength to cause a welt or anything more than red skin.

"Take me to town with you." Out comes my well-prepared and incredibly persuasive request.

"What do you want from Oakridge? No matter how many times you ask, I'm not buying you a sword." His eyes narrow with suspicion.

"Just wanna see it. Bored." A lie. I want to see if there are any magic items or maybe books to train magic… or a sword.

"It's a small town, but you could still get lost. Why don't we wait until you're Lisanna's age first?"

"Won't leave you. Promise." A lie. If I find something interesting and he doesn't want to go over to it with me, you better believe I'll be flying over there in approximately zero seconds flat.

"Haah, fine, but you're sticking right by my side the whole time. Don't expect to ever go back there if you try to sneak off." He finally relents, he always does eventually, now I just gotta find out what buttons to press to get him to relent on getting me a sword.

Oakridge town was a disappointment of epic proportions. Going to the marketplace with dad to sell his furs was such a thrilling idea to me. Even if it's a small town with no magic guilds or anything like that, it's still a magic world. The marketplace is bound to be filled with magic items and cursed swords and monster parts, right?

Not right. Not even close to right. Not only was there no chance for me to reenact the scene of Roronoa Zoro tossing a cursed sword up in order to get it for free, but I didn't even get to see a crappy rusted sword being sold as an afterthought to get rid of it. That's not even mentioning magic. I'm starting to think that magic doesn't even exist here because I have seen exactly none of it.

Ultimately, I held true to my flimsy promises and never let dad's side as he sold his furs and horns and bought some groceries to bring home. He was so proud of me that I could have sworn I saw a tear in his eye when our house was in sight again. I'm not that bad normally, am I?

When he opened the door, I pushed past his legs and retreated to my room to pout. Regrettably, all my siblings were already there, ready for bed, so I would be denied my private sulking time.

"Well look who's all cranky now. Did dad yell at you for running off on him?" Mira was quick to tease me upon my entrance.

"Cyrus… are you okay?" Elfman carefully frets over me. Honestly, I can't picture him as the rowdy muscle freak from the manga at all.

I try to ignore them and move to my bed, but my hand is grabbed and I'm held firmly in place by the cheerful one.

"What's wrong?" Lisanna demands. Not asks, because nobody ever ignores Lisanna.

"..." My mouth opens and closes several times, but no words come out. Finally, I manage to push through the pain and let out my inner turmoil. "The town market didn't have a cursed sword possessed by a demon that only I could use and would name me as the legendary hero of Earthland!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

My heart-wrenching cry of pain and loss leaves the room silent for a solid minute before 6-year-old Lisanna decides to play the straight man.

"Of course it doesn't."

"Um, I think it would be pretty bad if there was something like that." Elfman chips in.

"I swear, every time that you say more than a couple words it's always complete gibberish, isn't it? Now stop being stupid and go to bed." Mira finishes me off with the fatal blow.

* * *

Two years after my first to Oakridge town I was in the marketplace with dad once again. Ever since that day, I had gone to town with dad every single time he went. The town itself remains a complete letdown, but there were still opportunities to be found there. There was a possibility of running into traveling mages in town as they stopped by for supplies or information.

Mages travel all over for their jobs and there aren't many vehicles in this world to speed up the process for them. This means that most jobs are a multiple day endeavor and they need to stop at towns and villages along the way to rest and restock. So far, I've seen three mages in Oakridge town for my efforts.

The first was a massive bald man who looked suspiciously similar to Jura Neekis, but I didn't get a chance to confirm that. My first sight of anything magical had turned me rabid with excitement and I made a blind dash for him, only to get my collar snatched by dad and swiftly brought home where I was grounded for two weeks.

The second was a beautiful brunette in yellow robes who I didn't recognize from the series. This time, I showed no reaction to her until I was certain that dad had his back turned. Then I swiftly escaped to her side. I played the lost child beautifully to get her to lead me away from the marketplace "in search of my dad". I got her to tell me about her water magic and some basic meditation tips to find my magic core before father found us and took me away. This time I was grounded for a month for running off with a stranger.

The third is right before my eyes, about to leave the marketplace through a side ally. He is exactly my kind of mage though from what I can see, so I have no intention of letting him slip away. He's an average height male with steel grey eyes, dark blue hair in a ponytail and leather gear that almost looks like a witcher's getup. On his hip is a scimitar, (one of the coolest types of swords in my professional opinion) but I also know that he is a mage because earlier I saw him show his flame magic to a group of kids. A magic swordsman is literally my ideal, so I can't let him slip away.

Maybe I can even get him to give me a sword or two!

With my motivation set in place, I carefully back away from dad as he engages with haggling down an old merchant's dress prices. We originally came here to get a present for Mira's tenth birthday next week. It was enough of a distraction for me to break free and charge into the ally in pursuit of the mage.

I find him just as he turns another corner ahead and rush to keep up. Rounding the corner and breathing heavily, I'm greeted by the sight of my target and the seven kids from the marketplace. They were all being completely silent and had vacant expressions on their faces, almost like they were dolls.

Something's wrong.

"Well, well. I'd figured I already had enough, and this is the last batch anyways, but it looks like another fish decided to jump into the net." He grins down at me in a way that makes my stomach turn and reaches his hand out. "Come 'ere kid. Don't you want to learn magic? I can teach it to you."

It's too late. We're less than ten feet away and I'm only four years old. With my legs being as short as they are there's no way that I'll be able to run away. He'll catch me before I can take three steps. I need to distract him first, but how? As long as he at least turns his head away, I can have a chance, but he doesn't seem like an idiot and I'm not some genius protagonist with all the answers. All I can think of are simple and obvious tricks, but I have to try something.

"What's wrong with them?" I point at the kids behind him. Please look!

"Don't worry about them, boy. They're meditating right now. Just come here so I can teach you as well." His eyes remain fixed on me.

"Ah! Dad, this guy's creeping me out!" I shout out, looking over his shoulder. I see his eyes go to the side and his neck starts to twist and I take off. This is the best chance I'll get.

THUD*

I don't make it five steps before I'm slammed to the ground and held down. All I can do now is shout for help.

"DAAA…" My shout quickly cuts off and I no longer feel in control of my body.

"Go stand next to the other brats." His cold voice orders and my body obeys.

No matter how much I mentally scream and fight, not a sound is made and I continue to walk all the way up to the group before turning to face the mage and stopping.

"Damn, you're way too perceptive for such a little brat. What are you, like five? The youngest brat I've ever taken turns out to be the smartest." The mage grumbles as he slowly strolls back to us. Slowly, the grin returns to his face and he leans down in front of me. "But being so smart is a good thing. Makes you more valuable, I think Brain will like you, assuming you survive long enough to make an impression."

Brain, as in Zero, the leader of Oracion Seis and one of the biggest psychopaths in the series. My heart was racing in fear and my head felt like it was going to split open, but before the fear could truly settle in, I heard a voice.

"Cyrus! Cyrus, where'd you run off to this time? Cyrus, If you don't come back now I'm going to set Mira on you." Dad's voice echoed from around the corner.

"I swear, it's one thing after another today," The mage exasperates, but his smile soon returns. "But this will be a good learning experience for you. That's your dad right?" He pats me on the head and waits for dad to round the corner.

When my dad finally appears, his eyes go wide with horror after one quick glimpse of the situation. As a hunter in a world with monsters abound, he's incredibly quick at assessing danger. He swiftly takes his bow off his shoulder and readies an arrow.

"Let the children go, and I will pretend I didn't see anything." His voice is filled with authority that I've never heard from him before. "We can go our separate ways and put this behind ourselves."

"Hahaha! Are you serious?" The mage laughed, but even without being able to look up at his face, I could tell it was superficial. "A little village hunter is actually threatening me, a member of Dancing Coffin? That's a seriously bad joke."

"I'm sure you don't want to cause a commotion in town." Dad continued, undeterred by the mage's anger.

"There won't be any commotion to worry about, just a life lesson for these brats here." Without warning, the mage snapped his fingers, and a dome-shaped bubble surrounded the ally. "My hypnosis is just something I learned as a little parlor trick, this is my real magic, Silence. Now we don't have any problems, do we?"

Seeing the situation spinning out of control, dad loosed an arrow at him without hesitation. The mage drew his sword and blocked the arrow with incredible speed before dashing at dad so fast that my eyes couldn't even follow him. A second later, a soft thump was heard and dad's arm hit the ground.

He screamed in pain, but still turned to face the mage. The mage looked completely at ease and called out to me.

"Watch closely, kid. This is the reality of what it means for the weak to challenge the strong. The same thing would be happening to me if I challenged Brain."

A flash of movement, another thump, another scream.

"The world just ain't fair, and where you're going, you can't even pretend that it is."

Another flash, dad falls towards me, his right leg falls the other direction.

"I'm doing this for your own good kid, if you don't learn what cruelty looks like now, you'll die quick."

He grabs father by the hair and drags his face up to mine, mere inches away.

I try to scream, to shout, to cry, to hug him. I try to do anything, but all my body allows is for me to stare at him with a vacant expression as his throat is slit and the light in his eyes fades out.

The mage drops him to the ground like a broken toy and pulls out a large silver coin.

"This is a teleport coin, a pretty rare magic item, and the reason my guild is so good at what we do. I need all you to hold hands so I can bring you all to your new home." Our bodies complied and he grabbed my hand and was about to activate the coin when he stopped and looked at me. Grey eyes meeting green. "Oh, by the way, I'm Crowley and I'll be your teacher from now on. Pleasure to meet ya."

Then he activated the teleport and my world turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's chapter one out of the way, and things will be turning a bit dark from here.
> 
> Again, any feedback would be appreciated!
> 
> P.S. Please be gentle with me, it's my first time after all. ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Mirajane Strauss had a happy family life.

The loss of her mother had hurt, and she could never be replaced, but there were people there to pick up the pieces and fill the gap that loss had left in her heart. She had a loving father who could never really get angry with any of his precious children. A younger brother who was as gentle as he was shy, always happy to be with his family. A little sister who was a bundle of friendliness and energy, always smiling and making others smile with her (even by force).

Finally, she had another kid brother and the weirdest of the bunch, a brat by every definition of the word. A boy who never stopped looking for trouble and caused the family no shortage of headaches. He never spoke much, and when he did it was usually nonsense that she had no idea where he learned. Cyrus was a smart kid, way smarter than anyone she'd seen at his age, but he said some seriously stupid things.

Mira fondly thought about her bizarre littlest sibling. She knows that Cyrus and dad went to town to buy a dress for her birthday, the two of them are atrocious at keeping secrets. Still, She knows that she will act surprised when she gets it just to see that big toothy smile her little trouble maker so often gives.

She can't help but to worry though, Cyrus is a little hellion when he finds something that interests him, so she always worries when he goes to town, but this time it's worse. She was in town with Elfman yesterday and there was a traveling mage staying camped out on the town outskirts. Normally, this wouldn't be so bad as Cyrus has chased down mages before, but this time it's different.

This mage had a sword.

One of her greatest causes of confusion has been Cyrus's obsession with swords, he should have never seen one, so she has no idea what got him hooked on them. He even takes it further removed from common sense by explaining that it needs to be a cursed sword. Since when has the word cursed ever stood for anything desirable?

She can't help but to worry that now that he finally has the chance to see a swordsman in person, he won't let him go. Hopefully, dad will be able to get a leash on him and bring him home before her mischievous little brother runs off with his idol and never comes back.

Mirajane can't help but let out a laugh at the thought.

Dad will still find him and bring him back. Dad always finds him.

* * *

When my vision returned, I was in an unfamiliar place. A small room with stone walls and only a single desk and chair for furniture. The air felt odd and had a damp earthy smell to it. The dim lighting was produced by a single crystal on the desk that I recognized as a lacrima. My mind numbly reacted to the stimuli around me, not really analyzing the information, just noting it to keep me from thinking about what just happened.

Crowley walked over to the desk, took a seat and pulled out a pen and paper from the drawer. "Now, answer my questions truthfully and leave the room when I dismiss you, there will be someone outside to take over from there. First, you," He pointed at the tallest boy in the group, a lanky ginger. "Tell me your age and gender."

"10 years old. Male." The boy's voice was robotic and unsettling, no inflections whatsoever.

"Your new designation is S294. Dismissed. Next, you," Crowley wrote down what the boy said before sending him on his way and calling up the next child, a blonde girl with pigtails and freckles. "Tell me your age and gender."

"8 years old. Female."

"Your new designation is S295. Dismissed. Next, you,..."

This process continued to repeat itself with the exact same words and pattern until my turn came up. Clearly, he had been doing this for long enough for it to form a routine. Either that or the wording had to be that way for his hypnosis.

"Now, you really were just extra, kid. We were only supposed to have 300 participants for the experiment, but I don't think there will be any problems with adding you in. After all, you're interesting." He leaned out and ruffled my hair with a light chuckle. "Now then, tell me your age and gender."

"4 years old. Male." My mouth moved on its own, unbothered by the complete repulsion I feel for the man in front of me.

"Wow, only 4 years old and you're this smart! You're the youngest one here, so things won't be easy, but do your best." He smiles at me and writes down my information. "Your new designation S301. I really hope you survive the testing year S301, I've got high hopes for you. Dismissed."

My body turned around and exited the small room into a long stone hallway. Waiting for me was a figure in a hooded black robe that hid their face in shadow. I felt the mental control over my body transfer from Crowley to this new figure and was forced to abandon my hope for regaining control once I got away from Crowley.

"Follow me." A terse, but unmistakably female voice commanded and the robed woman started down the hallway.

I tried to look into the rooms we passed on the way, but being unable to so much as move my eyes made it an impossible endeavor. Peripheral vision can only go so far.

Eventually, the hallway opened up into a very large room and I confirmed that we had to be underground. We were in a giant open space that was clearly carved out of the stone. It isn't the Mines of Moria big, but it's still a huge space, and holes leading to tunnels like the one I just came out of litter the perimeter.

Standing in the center of this open area is a crowd of children, perfectly lined up and perfectly silent. It's unnatural. The only way that this could be possible is if they are all under hypnosis and are forcibly immobile. The robed woman directs me to the last line in the crowd and positions me beside it, seeing as I'm the odd man out and broke the even rows they had planned.

"Stand still and stay silent. Listen carefully and obey any orders Brain gives." The terse orders from the woman send a chill down my spine, even as she walks away.

Just as suddenly as she leaves, I hear the footsteps of someone approaching the front of the group. I can't see because I'm so much shorter than everyone else here, but I already know who's up there. I can feel it, it's like the temperature has physically gone down and the air has gotten thinner.

It's Brain.

"Now that all 301 subjects have been gathered, the experiment can finally begin." His voice is cold, analytical, and unfeeling. He doesn't consider us humans, or if he does, he doesn't care.

"The focus of this experiment is to put children who have not yet awakened magic under highly stressful and highly dangerous circumstances in a controlled environment where they are aware that they can only rely on themselves to survive. The goal is to see if the survivors can awaken unique and powerful types of magic to cope with the dangers and defend themselves. The difference between magic that is awakened and magic that is learned is a noticeable one, even if they are both the same type of magic. That's why, in this experiment, I don't care if there are only 2 survivors, as long as they awaken with promising magical talent, the sacrifice of the rest of you wouldn't bother me."

While Brain monologues his project, the sinking feeling in my gut only continues to grow worse and worse. It looks like Brain is trying to force what happened to Erza to happen to us, and that means an environment at least as bad as the Tower of Heaven. Not only that, but Erza's incredible talent that she inherited from Irene played a big role in her doing what she did. Something that I don't have. Neither of my parents were mages and while all the Strauss siblings were powerful in their own right, only Mira awakened her magic on her own.

"Now, I don't expect this to happen quickly, so this will be an experiment spanning several years. Your ages range from 4 to 12, giving plenty of variety in the sample. There will be many chances for your magic to appear in the coming years, depending on your age some may come quicker than others. However, magic isn't the only important factor. We need to know if you have the qualities to become proper weapons for me to use first. That's what this first year will be about."

I'm only feeling worse and worse as he speaks and this first year gives me a bad feeling. Crowley said he hopes I survive it, which implies that a large portion of us will not. If I think about the qualities to become a weapon, the first thing that comes to mind is killing off your emotions, like Root from Naruto. Not exactly a promising thought.

"I will now explain your roles and I expect you all to perform them to my satisfaction. The first year is the testing year and you will be left to your own devices for its duration. After this meeting you will all take a series of physical and mental tests, you will receive a certain amount of credits based on your overall rank out of the 301 participants. Those credits will be used for everything here. You are in a system of caves with this room as the center point. You will not be allowed outside for any reason, all food and any other luxuries can only be obtained by spending credits to one of the test supervisors. There will be ten supervisors down here, but their only job is to record their observations of the test and to make transactions with the credits. They will absolutely not interfere in the test under any circumstance unless they are paid the appropriate amount of credits. Basically, credits are equal to life down here, and after the initial tests, there will be only one way to gain credits. Killing another participant will give you half of their points, the other half will disappear with them."

I didn't expect it to be so in-depth and strategic. I honestly expected us to just be pitted against each other in deathmatches, but in a way, this could turn out worse. However, as long as I do good in the tests, it may be possible to ration my way through this. The rest are just kids, so there's no way that they will think ahead enough to ration their credits, which means, unless Brain wants everyone dead, he will give a slight surplus of them to us. At least, I think he will.

"No matter how well you do on the tests, you will run out of credits within the first 6 months," Or not. "Which means that if you can't kill at least two other participants, you will die. Credits cannot be willingly given to others, and if you attack in a group, only one person from that group will receive them. If someone dies on their own, their credits will disappear, not going to anyone. All these rules, along with all the available purchases will be posted on the wall behind me. Now, Dancing Coffin, separate them into ten groups and start the tests." With that, Brain walked out of the hall and down one of the many tunnels.

A robed figure, I think it was the woman from before but I'm not certain, separated us from the others, and took us down one of the tunnels. She didn't stop until she reached the last door before the tunnel cut off.

"The first 9 tests will be taken here. They will be simple and straightforward, meant to get a basic idea of your capabilities. Wait in a line outside this door. The next one in line will enter the room when the subject before them exits." She points to me, who was in the front of the line, and walks into the room. "You're first. Enter."

When I enter the room, it looks much the same as the one before. The only difference is that this one had two desks and chairs, other than that it was all empty space.

"Now, let's begin…"

* * *

The tests were simple, just as she said. The four physical tests were really just regular exercises: push-ups, squats, planks, and one where she took out a balloon-like magic item that tested punch strength. The five mental tests were a little bit more advanced but not much. There was a test for math, reading comprehension, and writing, which were all standardized for children but the last two were much more interesting.

One was just an open essay of everything you knew about magic. I had to make sure not to put too much to draw attention to myself but to put enough to get the highest amount of credits.

The other also gave you one pretty vague question to write about. It asked, "From what you've been told thus far, what should be your first priority in this testing year of the experiment?". My answer was short and to the point, expressing exactly how I've felt ever since back in that alleyway earlier today.

"I will survive. No matter what."

Now, all 301 of us are in the middle of the tenth test. A run around the central hall until we drop. Every 5 minutes the ten people who are furthest behind are disqualified, so a certain pace needs to be maintained. I'm confident that I did the best on all the mental tests, but I was probably among the worst for the physical ones on account of my age. That means I need as many credits as I can get here. Long-distance running is more about toughness and grit than anything else, and I'm confident that I can outlast a bunch of kids in that. In my last life, I was a Division 1 college athlete, so I'm used to running through pain.

After 4 hours of running, the test ends and I'm the last one standing. Although as soon as it ends that changes as I collapse in a heap. We are handed a small lacrima and quickly corralled and sent to a room down one of the tunnels while they calculate our ranks and credits. Everyone has their own room and is given a bowl of soup. We are told that we cannot leave until tomorrow morning, after that we will have to pay if we want to remain in our rooms or eat anything else.

Sitting on the stone floor, huddled in the corner of the empty room, my mind is finally given the chance to catch up with everything that has happened today. Tears begin to flow and choked sobs fill my throat.

How did this happen?

This is Fairy Tail. This is my new life. Things were supposed to be fun and exciting, a thrilling new world filled with adventures. Sure, there would be hardships, but my friends and family would be there to pick me up and help me work through them.

Not this.

Here, I'm all alone. There's nobody to rely on but myself, surrounded by enemies on all sides. I'm not idealistic enough to believe that I can make any allies here. No, once credits run low these kids will crack. All it will take is one person to kill someone, one act will put the whole place into a frenzy. I can't trust my back to anyone in a place like that.

But I will survive.

This is my second chance, a life in a fantasy world that is going to be filled with dreams and wonder. There's no way that it can end like this. I won't let it. No matter what, I won't die. I refuse.

I force my sobs to stop and wipe away my tears. The miniature lacrima I was given lights up in my pocket. I take it out and see a series of statistics being displayed in it.

**S301**

**Rank: 98/301**

**Kills: 0**

**Credits: 400**

**Days remaining: 365**

**Subjects remaining: 301**

I ranked lower than expected. Maybe they prioritized the 5 physical tests more than the mental. Either way, until I can see the list of prices in the hall tomorrow, I won't know if 400 credits are a lot or a little. All I can do now is sleep and rest up for what's to come. This will likely become hell.

The next day, I woke up early, or at least I think I did. I can't really tell here. Either way, I wasted no time going to the hall to see exactly what my credits were worth.

Walking through the tunnels was an eerie experience with muffled cries sounding out all around me as the children who had their worlds turned upside down broke down from the stress. It may be bad of me, but I have no sympathy to spare for them. All my mind is focused on how I will get through this. I can't afford to worry about them. If they break down, that just means there are fewer enemies for me to worry about.

Once I reach the hall, I head straight to the board on the far wall. There are about ten kids already there. They all look to be around 12, the oldest of the batch. When I approach the board and stand between them there is some nervous conversation, but I ignore it. There will be no benefit in getting close to anyone here.

Looking at the board, I realize that this year will be a lot more difficult than I had previously thought. I was naive about the reality of having people control everything about my life and what Brain really meant when he said that credits are used for everything.

**Credit Store**

**1 credit: slice of bread, cup of water, use of a toilet**

**2 credits: Apple, beef jerky stick**

**3 credits: soup, chocolate, tube of toothpaste**

**5 credits: shower, 24 hours use of personal room (can be locked)**

**10 credits: choice article of clothes, blanket, pillow**

**50 credits: knife, have the caves cleaned**

**2500 credits: exit the test early**

Shit. This is a lot worse than I expected.

My 400 credits might seem like a lot at a first glance, but they will run out fast, even if I only get the bare minimum that I need to survive. Being frugal with my points will mean that I have to shit and piss on the floor in the cave where I'll be living. Not only is that dehumanizing, but it could easily lead to disease and infections. The place can be cleaned, but with that price, it means that one person will have to bite the bullet for the group's benefit.

Another thing to consider is that as the test goes on, the overall pool of credits will drain. I have 400, so assuming the average is 300 there is something like 90,000 total credits out there. However, every day that number will probably drop by at least 600. If killing someone right now gives you 150 points, killing someone 3 months from now might only give you 50 points.

I doubt there will be any kids driven to kill each other for at least a couple months, but the test undoubtedly benefits those who act first. Hell, if I buy a knife and kill a dozen or so kids that look like they ranked higher than me, I could be out of here by morning.

However, thinking that and acting on it are two different things. Logically, I know that I won't survive this test without killing anyone and that the longer I wait, the more I may need to kill. I understand that, but part of me is still grasping at the hope that someone might come and save me if I hold out long enough. That, if I act now and throw away my humanity, I will never get it back. It tells me that these are just children and that killing them for my own benefit would make me nothing more than a monster.

No, I can't go killing people just to leave here early. There's no guarantee that what happens after I get out will be any better than being in here either. Plus, if I stand out like that, Brain will definitely take a personal interest in me and my chances of escaping will plummet.

Let's just think about what I need to survive first. As a four-year-old, a lack of food could cause some horrible damage, so I don't think I'll survive any starvation rationing. Even if I could, my body is already the weakest here. If I'm even further weakened when people start to kill each other, I won't survive. With that, I need to decide between a glass of water and bread every day, or a bowl of soup. Soup will probably be more nutritious and better for my health, but that extra credit will hurt. I also need to consider my hygiene. Disease and infection can kill just as readily as any blade.

I'll have to think about that, but right now I already know something that I need to buy. I'm already on my way down the tunnel that I came out of, heading for the last door. I knock on it and am immediately answered.

"Enter." a monotonous tone rings out.

Inside the room is a desk and sitting behind it is the robed woman responsible for my testing. At some point, the room became fully furnished with a bed and shelves littered in books and papers.

"I would like to make a purchase." I hand over my lacrima.

"What do you want?" She looks down at me and fishes through her robes for the teleport coin.

"A knife."

Even if it's a costly purchase, having something to protect myself from the larger participants around me is a necessity. If someone attacks me and I'm unarmed, I will have very little chance of winning. I hope that I don't need to use it, but that's much better than needing it and not having it.

When I leave the room and return to the main hall, it's with a lacrima that shows 350 credits and a slight bulge under the side of my waistband.

Why doesn't this feel like I'm in the world of Fairy Tail?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a set-up chapter here. And yes, I am aware that Cyrus' thinking is a bit fundamentally flawed. He jumps to conclusions and can only perceive his surroundings as threats now that his trust in the world has been broken.


	3. Chapter 3

**S301**

**Kills: 0**

**Credits: 94**

**Days remaining: 284**

**Subjects remaining: 298**

Lying on my back in the main hall of the caverns, I pull out my lacrima and finally see what I'd feared for so long. 81 days into the experiment, and the last number on my lacrima has finally changed.

The killing has started.

Not only has first blood been drawn, but three people have been killed. Just as I thought, once it starts, the dam will be broken and the flood will start. This place will fall into chaos soon.

Looking around the room, I can't see any signs of the killings, but everyone I see is fearfully looking around themselves as well. Even if this place doesn't fall into chaos, it's already a hellscape.

Everywhere I look is filled with emaciated children. Some have fallen sick, but most are only severely malnourished. Without an adult's intelligence to assist them, very few were smart enough to ration out their food. They saw that they had hundreds of credits and thought that they could buy food whenever they got hungry.

By the time that they realized the problem, it was too late. Around a month ago, the ones who were frivolous started to only eat every other day to make up for it. In extreme cases, they only ate every two days. Those kids are now at risk of keeling over and dying all on their own. It's entirely possible that the three deaths were a result of that, rather than murder.

I've been spending my credits with the intention of staying healthy being put above all else, so I'm in better condition now than most. I've been buying one bowl of soup daily for 3 credits. Early on I spent 3 credits on a tube of toothpaste that I've hidden in my clothes and have been using once a week, and I spend 5 credits every 30 days to shower.

This may be seen as wasteful, but seeing the kids getting sick and diseased in here, I want to make absolutely sure that my body stays healthy. If I survive the year but contract a lethal disease, it would be meaningless.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of a scream. Not a scream of fear, but a feral scream of rage. On the other side of the hall, one of the older kids just tackled someone who came out of a tunnel.

"You killed them!" His voice echoes into all our ears as nearly 300 children silently observe the scene. "How could you?! Weren't we gonna survive this together?!"

"What else was I supposed to do?! They were dying anyway?!" The younger boy shouts from under him. "If they're gonna die anyway, they may as well help me survive this! We knew it was going to happen, if you don't want to die then somebody else has to! What's wrong with wanting to live?!"

His voice resounds through the hall and slips into the children's minds, even as his friend rains punches down upon him. Everyone here has thought this at some point, but until now everyone turned away. Everyone denied it.

The rhythmic thumps of fists on flesh continued for several minutes, turning the gears in everyone's heads towards forbidden thoughts, ideas that should never be considered. Eyes began to turn towards the sick and the dying.

**Subjects remaining: 297**

Even after my lacrima showed the boy's passing, the thuds didn't stop. Instead, a wet squelching noise began to accompany them and the sounds of children retching up precious nutrients came from those closest to the scene.

My hand moved to the hilt of my knife and my eyes darted between those closest to myself. The tension in the air is palpable, everyone is waiting with bated breath to see if somebody else will make the first move.

My luck fails me when the first to move turns out to be from a blond girl not 20 feet away from me. All eyes turn to her as the bone-thin girl who can't be more than 8 years old, the girl who should be playing dress-up and laughing with her family, wraps her hands around the throat of another girl and squeezes. The girl below her is already too weak from sickness to resist.

Nobody moves. Not a sound is made from either child. The world is still for a moment, then everything goes into motion.

No, I realize, all the children are still unmoving. I'm the one in motion. Without thinking, without considering my actions, I charge at the pair of girls, moving faster than I ever remember moving, old body or new.

It feels like I'm not the one in my own body's driver seat when I sink my knife into the throat of an 8-year-old girl.

**S301**

**Kills: 1**

**Credits: 147**

**Days remaining: 284**

**Subjects remaining: 296**

It feels too simple.

As the child's body crumples to the ground, I feel conflicted more than anything else. I stand there in a daze as the room is thrown into action and conflict erupts all around me.

Killing somebody, taking a life, it feels like there should have been more to it than that. There should have been more resistance. Some kind of punishment should have happened to me. I should be feeling something. Nothing of the sort happens.

… People die surprisingly easily.

I was tackled from behind as punishment for getting lost in my head, dropping my knife. A boy much older and much bigger than me on top of me with his hands around my neck. My hands slap about and my legs kick in a panic, but I can't get him off me. I'm too small and weak to buck him off my hips. His crazed blue eyes stare down at me as he blocks the air from my lungs.

I don't want to die!

Specks of light fill my vision and a dull ache fills my head.

I don't want to die!

My struggles grow weaker and black splotches cover my vision.

I don't want to die!

The boy is tackled off me and I gasp for air between a flurry of coughs. My gaze traces the ground until I find my knife. Knife firmly grasped in hand, I look up to see what happened.

Blue eyes look down at me and a hand is outstretched towards my face. Panic fills my body and I act on my instinct to survive.

"Are you oka*cough*" My arm flies out and my knife stabs the throat of the perceived threat.

When clarity returns to my eyes there is a corpse falling forward on top of me and my assailant from before is getting up and preparing to attack me again.

* * *

Sanity doesn't return to the children until the next day, when the physical and mental exhaustion have peaked and the adrenaline rush has passed. The survivors go their separate ways and sit in silence, some buying rooms for protection, most just collapsing in some random spot in the hall.

Even when the fighting is over I don't actually know if I can say it's true that sanity returned though. I'm not sure if any of us are sane anymore.

My fingers trace the backside of my knife, as they have been for the past hour. I'm too scared to look at the lacrima in my pocket. I tell myself that I don't want to see how many children died, but I know that's not the truth. I don't want to see the proof of what I've done.

I killed those kids in order to survive. It was self-defense. Justified.

I've been forcing myself to believe that I had no other choice, that I killed for survival, not benefit. I tell myself that, but if I take out my lacrima there will be no denying that I've benefited from killing others.

It might be the most sinister part of this whole test. The clear fact that there are rewards for killing others. In this test, that is an undeniable fact. I can't help but question if I really had to kill those kids, or if I just wanted their credits. The worst part is that somewhere inside of me is a voice saying that there was nothing wrong with what I did, saying "What's wrong with killing before you're killed?".

With a deep breath, I sheathe my knife and put it back in my waistband. I finally muster up the courage to take out my lacrima.

**S301**

**Kills: 6**

**Credits: 463**

**Days remaining: 283**

**Subjects remaining: 223**

78 deaths in a single day. I doubt it will ever be that bad again, that was the opening ceremony on the pandemonium here. Now that the mob chaos of the first conflict has passed, killing will become an occurrence that everyone here is used to. There won't be any more big free-for-alls, but there will probably be a couple deaths every few days.

My lacrima shows me that I'm personally responsible for 1/13th of that number. Even if the night passed in a frenzied blur, I can clearly remember every one of them.

The blonde girl's wide blue eyes when my knife pierces her neck. The girl I saved died shortly afterward, her points falling to nobody.

The look of betrayal on the face of my savior whose blue eyes sent me into a panic when his throat was stabbed through. His act of selfless kindness having cost him his life.

The feral snarl on the face of the boy who nearly killed me, even as my blade sunk and twisted into his side. Not even fear of death overcoming the madness this place drove him to.

The tear-stained face of a young girl, 6 years old at the oldest, who ran at me with my own knife after I'd lost it. I tackled her and forced it into her chest from above, even as her hands were still wrapped around the hilt.

The dark-skinned brother and sister who surrounded me, but both died to a stab in the neck. The brother was too scared to attack when his big sister did and only charged me after being overcome with rage at the sight of his sister's death.

Six children were killed and yet their lives were valued at only a couple months of survival in this hellhole. If I cut down on my expenses and forget about maintaining my hygiene and health, I would still need to find another 100 or so credits at least to survive.

Maybe if I was some genius protagonist with all the answers, I could think of something else. Maybe if I had the help of fate and plot armor like the Fairy Tail main cast, I could find another way out of here that doesn't require me to become a monster. Unfortunately, as I am I can only think of one way to survive.

I will have to keep killing people.

* * *

It's been three days since the blood bath. The stench of death is thick in the air. Bodies are littered about the area, nobody bothering to move them from the spot they were killed at. They mix with the feces and puddles of piss and vomit to give the entire cave system a rancid odor.

Nobody has been killed since then, but I fear we will all die from disease if this keeps up. I'm about to do something despicable, but I have no choice. I have to survive, and I can't afford to waste 50 credits.

I approach the youngest looking kid I can find, a boy who looks no older than 5. He's on the verge of death and seems half delirious.

"Hey, I got this for you," I hold up a cup of water. "Are you okay?"

"Who… are… you?" His voice is hoarse and weak. I'm getting worried that maybe he doesn't have enough life in him to do what I need.

"I'm Cyrus," I respond in a gentle tone. "I want to help you. You're going to be okay. Here." I help him sit up against the wall and slowly put the cup to his lips.

He takes a long time to drink, but even once he finishes the cup, he looks no better than before.

"I'm… Hatz… Thank… you." His eyes are struggling to stay open.

"Don't worry Hatz, I'll help you from now on." I fill my voice with confidence, trying to sound like an adult. "I'll bring you food and water every day! We'll be like family."

"... Really?" He looks up at me and I can see hope in his eyes. I quickly avoid meeting his gaze and look at his mouth instead.

"Promise!" It needs to be done. "I just need you to do one thing for me."

"... Ok." He fidgets a bit and cuts me off before I can continue. "Can… I… call… you… big… bro?"

"... Hmm, how about this? I'll be your big bro, but first, you need to come with me and do what I say real quick." It's necessary, don't think about it. He would have died on his own if you didn't do this anyway.

"... Yep!" Hatz smiles at me and struggles to stand up with my support.

I lead him down the tunnel, but the whole trip is in silence. He is spending too much energy walking to be able to speak, and I'm too guilty to talk. After a painfully long trip, we come to a halt in front of the last door in the tunnel.

"Now," I put my hands on his shoulders and look Hatz in the eye. "I'm going to knock on the door, and when they answer I need you to say that you want to buy the cleaning. Can you do that for me?"

"... Yep!... Got… it… big… bro." With his confirmation, I immediately knock on the door before he can back out.

A robed man answers and wordlessly looks down at us.

"... I… want… … buy… … clean'n." Hatz barely gets out the sentence. He spoke so quietly that I was worried the man didn't hear him at first. Then he pulls out a clipboard and a pen and begins writing.

"Men will be sent here in an hour to clean the entire test location. Wind magic will also be used to clean the air. The process will take about three hours after it begins." With that, he retreated into his room and closed the door.

Behind the door, I could have sworn I heard him mutter, "Damned brats reek. Why the hell is staying here my job?"

"... Big… Bro." Hatz returns my attention to him by weakly tugging on my shirt.

I look at him, pull out my knife, and gently slit his throat.

"Sorry Hatz, but there was no way you would last more than a few more days. Best to kill you now so your corpse can get cleaned up with the rest of them. It's all for the sake of my own survival."

Even as I spoke, I felt something disappear. There was something that I had been barely holding onto. Something that had been being chipped away at ever since dad was killed and this test was designed to strip it away. I know in my heart that that something is now completely gone, maybe for good.

When I checked, I had gained 4 credits.

* * *

**S301**

**Kills: 33**

**Credits: 12**

**Days remaining: 1**

**Subjects remaining: 14**

I check my lacrima for what will likely be the last time. I doubt there will be any changes from this point on.

Looking around the barren hall, I can see a few scattered corpses of those who couldn't last through the last couple nights. The survivors are spread out with as much distance between one another as possible. Every single one of them is hardened and calculating. The type who would do anything to ensure their own survival. Not the type of person who you would trust sleeping next to you.

Of everyone here, I'm the youngest and smallest by far. The rest are all on the older side of the spectrum, even the smallest of them is a black-haired girl who looks around 9 or 10. Despite this, I wouldn't be surprised at all if I was told that I have killed more subjects than any of them. Maybe even by double!

That said, it can't be helped. Nobody else ever thought to purchase a cleaning of the caves, so whenever the bodies began to pile up, I had to do it. Even if I often found someone else to do it, I had to personally take the expense several times. I had to have had the place cleaned at least a dozen times, if not more.

That's 600 credits! Not all of it came from my pocket, but a large enough portion that I had no choice but to be active in regaining them. It was all a necessary sacrifice to ensure my survival.

Most of my kills came from picking off the sick and the dying, but a sizable portion came from fending off attackers. By appearances, I'm the weak link here. The weakest link. Pair this with the fact that I never looked like I was pressed for credits and you get some juicy looking prey.

Luckily, even after the fighting began, most kids weren't willing to cough up the credits to buy a knife and I managed to drive home why that was a bad choice on their parts. Incidentally, all of the remaining 14 subjects have one. Whether they bought it or looted it from a corpse I don't know, but I do know that it's the reason they are still here.

There's not a single one of us who hasn't faced death over and over again, both the deaths of others and our own.

All 14 of us sit in a stalemate, nobody making any moves and everybody on full alert. Not one of the survivors is naive enough to relax just because it's the last day.

I pull out my knife and spring into a ready stance when my eye catches movement in the center of the hall.

"Congratulations on surviving the testing period." Brain is standing there slowly clapping his hands together. "14 subjects is a satisfactory result. You have all proven that you have at least the most basic qualities to be made into proper weapons. Your combat training will begin in one week under the objective of awakening your magic and teaching you how to properly utilize it."

I wasn't expecting a break. It seems that even a dark guild can understand the concept that the body needs proper rest in order to perform at its best and make the most gains.

"Come to the center of the room here, but leave your clothes and items where you are. I will teleport you to your new barracks and fresh clothes will be provided there."

Not a single child hesitates to strip down in the open. After experiencing our living conditions for the past year, things like shame or reluctance are nonexistent. We will not hesitate to act in the way that best ensures our survival, and we instinctively understand that refusing Brain is not in our best interest.

After all 14 of us gather up in front of him, he takes out that teleport coin magic item (seriously, are there just a bunch of those or are they passing it around?) and the world blinks out with a familiar feeling.

When clarity returns to my surroundings, I'm in what looks like a military barracks. A quick count tells me there are 20 bunk beds packed into the room with two small trunks on the floor near each of them.

"There are seven empty bunk beds for you, your designation is carved on the trunk to tell you which is yours. Your uniforms will be in those chests, tailored to fit each of you. Get changed and await further instruction." With that, Brain walks out the door and we are once again left on our own.

We each find our chests with little difficulty and change into our uniforms, a black form-fitting tank top and military-style camo pants. Everything is done in complete silence, most of us haven't held a decent conversion since before the test, nor do we have any intention of letting our guards down now.

I look over at my new bunkmate. S047, a tall girl with flaming red hair that's been messily cropped short. Shrewd brown eyes stare back at me, both of us analyzing the other but making no move to interact. We both turn in sync at the sound of the door opening and the man who dragged me into this hell meets my eyes.

"Wow. I didn't expect you to make it kid. Good for you, I guess." Crowley drawls from the door, dressed just as I remember him. "Anyways, congrats to all of ya for not dying. I'll be your combat instructor for the next few years, so I hope we can get along."


	4. Chapter 4

I already knew that this would probably happen, but seeing his face still puts knots in my stomach. I hate him so much it's physically painful, but I need to restrain myself. I can't show my hatred.

Patience. Be patient and a chance to kill him will surely come. I can't afford to act too soon though. For now, I just have to bear with it. Even if my chance doesn't appear for years to come, it will still be there. After all, I'm going to outlast every person here.

"I'll be your combat instructor for the next few years, so I hope we can get along."

"..."

In the face of our silent reception, Crowley lets out a heavy sigh and scratches the back of his head.

"Geez, you've become some boring brats. It's not like I'm gonna eat ya or anything." He pauses for a moment before giving a carefree shrug. "Well, whatever. It's not like this is some rune knights training camp, I don't really care if you respond or not, as long as you listen to what I say. If I find out you aren't paying attention it won't be a very pleasant experience for either of use. Is that clear?"

"Understood." The lot of us mumble out the affirmative. It's my first time hearing most of their voices.

"Now then, you have one week to get yourselves healthy and well-fed before hell starts back up again for you." He leans against the doorframe as he talks down to us. "If you thought that this would be easier than the test, you're sorely mistaken. The test was just to make sure that you were capable of taking care of yourselves, your training hasn't even begun. Only you all had to take the test as one of Brain's special experiments. There are other trainees here who didn't have to take it and will be starting training at the same time as you all, they just haven't been brought here yet. Although, I'm personally only responsible for teaching the 14 of you. I believe there are 66 of them, bringing the group to an even 80."

That's why the room has so many extra beds. Why didn't they have to take the test though? What makes them special?

"Quite frankly, they won't be anywhere near as tough as you all. They're all the kids of members of the various dark guilds with connections to Brain." He grins down at us. "Those shitty brats might know how to fight better than you, but they aren't hardened like you. They'll drop like flies. By next year, there will be at most 20 of you left, and I expect that you will fill at least half those spots."

Another elimination set up. Brain really doesn't care if he only ends up with a couple survivors. I guess that just goes to show that he only cares about elites. Even in the series, his Oracion Seis only had six members, but all six were cream of the crop talents.

"Now, I'll tell you where the cafeteria is, so eat up, rest up, and regain your strength this week. Think about what kind of fighting style you want to practice. Without knowing what your magic is, you can't do much more than the basics and build a foundation for your future style, but at least decide if you want to fight with a weapon or hand-to-hand combat. If you want a weapon, I advise that you stop by the armory by the end of the week and pick one that suits you."

"How do we know what to pick?" The girl beside me, S047, speaks up. Her voice matches her fiery hair color, brash and aggressive.

"Think for yourself." Crowley sneers. "I'm here to teach you how to fight, not to hold your hand and change your diapers. Decide what you want to accomplish in your fights and how you want to accomplish it, and pick a weapon that will let you do that. Now," He turns around and walks out the door. "I'm off to the cafeteria. If you want to learn where it is, follow me."

* * *

On the last day of our break, I stand alone in the armory, looking around once again. I have been here for a couple hours every day now, so I already know everything that's in here. There isn't much to do to pass the time during our break other than exploring the garrison, which I've done enough to walk the place blindfolded.

I'm not sure I can even call it a garrison though. All that's here are two single-room barracks buildings for the trainees, one building for the cafeteria, a small shed that I guess passes as an armory, and a main building that has the instructors' rooms. Other than that, there's just a big training field off to the side. Not exactly a hub of activity and excitement.

Thus, I find myself in this little shed, looking at the weapons once again. I understand that most mages in Earthland just rely on their magic and their bodies to fight, but I still think it would be best to learn swordsmanship.

All three swordsmen who I can remember from the series were incredibly powerful characters. Erza Scarlet was so strong that I almost felt bad for her opponents, although that had a lot to do with the Fairy Tail guild's overpowered nature. Ikaruga felt even stronger than Erza when they met at the Tower of Heaven. I always felt that if she decided to kill Erza rather than strip her, she would have done exactly that. Last is Kagura, whose use of gravity magic along with her sword put her close to Erza's level.

Those are all S-Class level characters, and more importantly, they relied more on skill than strong magic to get to that point. There's no guarantee that I will awaken a powerful magic type, I could even turn out as useless as Warrod in a fight if I have nothing else. In the underworld of dark guilds that I'm in, that kind of lack in fighting ability would get me killed.

Also, Erza and Kagura are held back by the fact that light guild mages don't kill. A sword is fundamentally a tool made to kill things, I will have no issues using it for that purpose.

I look over the blade I picked out as my weapon of choice. For now, I carry a small and crudely made tanto, barely longer than my old knife. However, as I grow, I plan to change to a Katana and focus on Iaijutsu.

I've always felt that the quickdraw was the ideal technique. One single, clean cut to end the fight. Why risk making a mistake in a lengthy battle when you can end it in a single move. I'm not naive enough to think that I will be able to take out all my enemies with a single move, but Iaijutsu also has great defense. It's about constant awareness and battle readiness, a perfect style for a survivor.

I return to the barracks, blade in hand, ready to do what it takes to survive the coming ordeal.

I don't care how many times they want to weed out the weak, I only have to be strong. No matter what they throw at me: starvation, isolation, deathmatches, torture. I will endure. I will outlast everyone else here if I need to, even if I have to kill them all myself.

* * *

The next morning, myself and the thirteen other test participants were lined up on the training field in front of Crowley.

The other trainees arrived at the barracks late last night, and they were far more talkative than any of us. We just ignored them however, they seem to think that they're on some kind of field trip. Right now, they are all separated into three groups of 22 trainees and an instructor for each group.

"It seems that some of you took my advice to heart and picked out weapons for yourselves. That's good to see." Crowley's lazy voice drawled out as he appraised us.

Apart from myself, 6 other kids choose a weapon for themselves. My bunkmate, S047 chose a spear and one of the bigger boys, I recognize him as the one who pounded his friend's face to pulp, chose an axe. Other than that, 3 boys and 1 girl choose simple daggers, probably due to their familiarity with knives from the test.

"Alright, for starters you're gonna run laps around the garrison. One person will stay with me and we will talk about what you want to focus on for a fighting style until someone finishes their lap, then you'll switch. That way I can find out what each of you need individually without having the rest of you sitting around. Oh, by the way. If you choose a weapon, you have to carry it at all times during training. If I see it on the ground, you'll be punished." He points at me. "I'll start with the shrimp, S301, everyone else: get running."

Everyone wastes no time taking off at a decent pace, although I do see a look of regret on the boy with the axe. I remain and await further instruction.

"So, a tanto huh? Should have picked a scimitar, they're way cooler." His voice sounds dismissive and disinterested. "So, what have you got in mind? Don't tell me it's something boring like it being similar to your knife or anything like that."

"I wanted a katana, but my body is too small for now, so I had to settle for this."

"Oh?" He looks a little more interested. "And?"

"I want to learn Iaijutsu," I announce. "Specifically, I want to focus on a one-hit-kill fight style with quickdraw and a wide variety of defensive techniques to fall back on."

"Hmm… I know enough about Iaijutsu to give you a pretty good base in it. However," his face looks thoughtful, as if he's just seeing me for the first time. "That all-or-nothing quickdraw idea is a pretty unbalanced style. Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Yes." I've thought it through enough. It's unbalanced, but it will give me the greatest chance to survive this camp. If there are frequent fights, like I expect there to be, built up fatigue will be fatal. Having a fighting style centered around ending the fight as quickly as possible is going to be huge in terms of preserving stamina. Especially considering I'm both smaller and weaker than anyone else here.

"Alright then. Sounds interesting." Crowley exclaims with a grin. "I'll help you out with that quickdraw style. We'll start with basic forms and defense, but I'm curious to see how it turns out. Assuming you don't go getting yourself killed, that is."

We spent the remainder of the time until the group got back and I had to start running hashing out the details of a training schedule.

All 14 of us will get 1 hour of one on one training with Crowley 3 days a week. The rest of our scheduled training is spent with a daily 9 hours of group training which includes mostly physical exercises and 3 hours of sparing. They are spaced out so that you will miss some of your sparing on the days that you have a personal session, though he warns that the spars will be easier. Two days every week we will need to take a magic class, not to learn magic, but what types there are and how to counter and combat them.

Other than that, our time is our own. It's expected that we dedicate it to maintaining our health (eating, sleeping, and showering properly) and practicing our personal fighting styles. Wasting time unproductively will be met with punishment. Though he didn't specify what that punishment was.

For the spars, weapons will be replaced with wooden replicas to reduce the risk of fatal injuries, but once a month every trainee will be paired up with another for live combat. They will have a five-minute bout with real weapons where anything goes. The only way for the fight to be stopped before 5 minutes is if one of the competitors dies. If nobody is dead after the bout, they both simply return to training the next day. He didn't mention any rewards or penalties, but I highly doubt that we could get away with fighting with anything less than the intent to kill.

Regardless, for now, none of that matters. All that matters is that I sharpen my fangs as much as possible and grow strong enough to defend my life, no matter who I come up against.

* * *

"Begin!" The group instructor signals the start of my first spar.

In front of me is a 10-year-old boy with blonde hair and a large frame. He wasn't in the test.

He runs to me with no real stance or defense. He's wide open.

I swing my wooden sword once he enters my range. He's too tall for me to hit his throat, so I aim for his knee. Once it makes contact I know I've won.

"Oof!" What happened?!

The wind was knocked out of my lungs and I'm lying on my back. I scramble to my knees, but a heavy impact to my side puts me back down.

The boy is approaching me from above, there is a slight limp in his step, but he looks mostly unharmed. He looks more angry than anything else.

"Shitty little brat! That hurts!" He spits. "You're just a little shrimp, so lie there and take a beating like a good boy."

I sit up and try to get to my feet, but a knee to my face puts me right back down. Before I can shake myself out of a daze, he mounts me from the top and rains down fists. I try to buck him off but am met with a familiar problem. He's too much bigger than me. I'm too weak.

I give up on escape and focus all my attention on blocking his punches. If I can't escape, I need to minimize the damage.

When the punches finally slow down and he runs out of breath, I reach my hand out and do the only thing I can think of to get him off me. I grab between his legs and squeeze with all my might.

His yelp of pain proceeds the pressure on me being released. I scurry back to my feet, grabbing my weapon on the way up. Before he gets up from his crouched over position, I unleash as many attacks on him as I can. I target his neck or his temples with each strike, stabbing instead of swinging for maximum damage.

After nearly ten solid hits, his arm swings out and he pushes me away. My arms are purple with bruises and my grip feels weak, so I am not sure how much damage I did, but I can see his head and neck beginning to bruise so I hope it was at least something.

"Stop!" The instructor's voice rings out over the training grounds, amplified by magic so everyone can hear. "The first bout is over. Rest before we assign you a new partner."

Can I last three hours of this?

The instructor said we would fight off and on every 10 minutes. Can I survive that long?

No! It's not about whether I can or cannot.

I will! I refuse not to.

I will not die.

I may be weak right now, but I will survive long enough to grow strong. I have to.

* * *

Draw. Strike. Sheathe. Draw. Strike. Sheathe.

Over and over again, I repeat the same motion. The blisters on my palm are open and bleeding, but I pay it no mind. Break them down enough and eventually, they will turn into calluses, growing strong and hard. That is exactly what I must do.

My body breaks down and I am faced with two choices: fall apart or grow stronger. And I will be strong.

Tomorrow is the first day of live combat fights. I will survive mine no matter what.

* * *

A young girl stands opposite me. I don't focus on her features, they don't matter. For the next five minutes, we will be trying our utmost to kill each other. I don't have the luxury of being able to think about anything else.

All four instructors stand watch, scattered about the field behind them are the trainees who were called out before us. None of the trainees were permitted to leave their rooms until their fight, so the fields are fairly empty. A few corpses have been pulled off to the side, waiting to be disposed of. A medical tent has been set up near the field.

Bloodstains cover the ground between us, some still wet. My eyes meet my opponent's and my hand wraps around the hilt of my blade. She takes a martial arts stance. Her knuckles look clean and uncalloused. Is she a grappler then?

"S301 versus Julia, begin." An instructor calls for us to start, I don't know which one.

I take a low stance, my weight placed heavily on my front, right leg. One hand on the hilt of my sword and the other on the sheath. I stand unmoving, prepared to lash out and strike at a moment's notice.

Slowly, she inches forward, strafing to the side as she does. I keep facing her as she gets steadily closer to my range. Finally, she dives in and I lash out.

I feel my blade sink into her flesh, but it's no good. When she dove in she turned so that my sword would hit her shoulder head-on, and her forward momentum killed the power of my strike. It's just a flesh wound that looks bad, there's no real damage!

Before I can retake some distance, she grabs two of my fingers and bends them back until they break and my sword falls from my grip. I manage to escape her grasp, but she kicks it away, out of the battle zone. With no other choice, I raise my fists and press the attack barehanded.

I land three punches, but they deal little damage with my limited strength. She parries the fourth away and tackles me to the ground, her territory. I keep my limbs in tight to my body so she can't get a grip on any and move to counter everything she tries. However, this is the area she excels at and when I try to get back to my feet, she works behind me and grabs a chokehold.

My hands slap at her lock and try to pry her fingers back as she did to me, but I can't get a grip on them. I kick and struggle, but to no avail. My head pounds and my vision fades. I never wanted to feel this again. The feeling of my life draining away.

No, not yet! Not like this! I will not die! I'm a survivor damn it! A survivor!

My hands reach around behind me and find her face. I slide my thumbs into her eye sockets and squeeze for all I'm worth.

A cry of pain and she pulls away before I can crush her eyeballs. Air fills back into my lungs and the headache starts to recede.

"Enough, that was five minutes." A voice calls out, sounding quite fed up. "What a damned embarrassment that was." I look over and see Crowley approaching me with my sword in his hands. "Show me your left hand."

I don't understand why, but I know better than to question orders at this point. I reach out my uninjured hand and he runs my sword straight through the center of my palm.

Pain. Incredible pain rushes to my brain and I let out a shout before gritting my teeth and struggling to stay silent.

"Do you think this is a joke?" Crowley's pissed. "That you're just here to mess around? Since you let go of your sword so damn easy, I'll cripple your off-hand so it's not so easy to get away with that next time. This is a fight to the death brat, and if your opponent wasn't such a joke, you'd be dead."

He's right. If I were fighting any of the other test subjects, I would have died the moment I lost my weapon. No, I would have been dead the moment my first attack wasn't fatal.

"I guess I'll have to directly teach your body what happens when you fuck around, because your brain clearly doesn't get it." Crowley ends his sentence by pulling the sword out of my hand and kicking me to the ground.

What followed next was the most brutal beating of my life. I don't know how long it lasted, but as I faded in and out of consciousness over and over again, I could only endure it.

Never again, I told myself. I will never put my survival up to chance like that ever again.

* * *

A month later, my blade slashes through my opponent's neck on our first pass, seconds after the start was announced.

* * *

I stand on the field of battle for the last time of the year. Ever since the naivety was beaten out of me by Crowley, I put my everything into killing my opponents on the first strike and have done just that for the last ten live combat fights in a row. I now fully understand the importance of that first strike for someone with as many disadvantages as I have. It's the reason I chose this style in the first place.

Across from me is the only person left who I didn't want to fight. The axe-wielding boy from the test, S179.

There are only 3 fights today, 6 trainees left. Everyone else has either died or awakened their magic like my bunkmate, S047, and begun working in the guild. Incidentally, she awakened with fire magic during last month's combat.

I shake the distractions out of my head and run through what I know about my opponent.

He's bigger than me by a lot and stronger than me by even more. This is normal, but the problem is he's faster than me as well. Couple that with a similar fighting style focused on one strike kills, and it makes an opponent that I don't want to fight.

We've spared together a lot, and I've never won a single time. This is also normal though, as I rarely win my spars. Spars and deathmatches are much different after all.

I know what he will do, and he knows what I will do. In that case, the faster one should win. That's definitely what he's thinking, and normally he'd be right. However, no matter what, I have no intention of dying.

"S179 versus S301, begin."

I'm already in my stance and my opponent charges at me with his axe ready to hack down. When he enters my range and swings his axe down, I don't strike. Instead, shift to the right, just a bit, then attack.

His axe cleaves into my flesh deeper and deeper until it goes all the way through and hits the ground. His eyes widen and he chokes on his blood as his throat is slit by my quickdraw. He falls to the floor and lifeless eyes stare at my left arm, lying there alongside him.

"Damn it! What the hell are you doing?" Crowley quickly picks up my arm and ushers me to the medical tent. "Hey! Shitty medic!" He barges in. "Can you put this idiot's arm back on?"

The medic looks flustered at the sudden entrance, but he quickly regains his composure and looks between me and my arm.

"No way, I don't think even that woman, Porlyusica, could reattach a limb. Not when the cut is that ugly." He feels his hand around my wound while I grit my teeth. "He even cut off some of his collarbone, there's nothing I can do about that."

Crowley lets out a heavy sigh. "Welp, that's how it goes then. Sorry kid, you can only blame yourself. After all, what use is a broken weapon?"

What's he talking about?

I turn to look at Crowley and a sharp pain fills my chest. Crowley has run his saber straight through me. Straight through my heart.

"... But *cough* I… won…" I struggle to look up at his face, only to see that he's already turned to leave.

"That's just how it goes kid."

Collapsing in a heap on the ground, my world fades away.

Not like this! I can't die. I won't.

I crawl forwards, slowly dragging my body to who knows where. All I know is that I have to keep moving.

I'm a survivor. I will live longer than anyone else. That's what I promised.

If I can't do that, what did all those kids die for?

What kind of fate awaits the type of person who would kill so many children when judgment is passed on him?

My body goes cold and I don't get any more time to regret my pitiful second life. Darkness takes over.

I'm scared.


	5. Chapter 5

My eyes blink open and I struggle to sit up. My head is throbbing in pain.

"What's going on?" I mumble out.

The seat below me is constantly jostling me about, I think I'm in some kind of vehicle. Either way, the bouncing is wreaking havoc on my headache.

I put my head in my hands and try to soothe the pain.

Wait… Something's not right here.

Memories flash before me and I let out a scream. I should be dead. I was stabbed in the heart, run through by Crowley's saber. Thrown away because I lost an arm. An arm that is currently holding my head.

Have I been reborn again?

No, the same long white hair is hanging in front of my face and I'm not an infant. This should still be the same life.

"Kid. Good, you're awake." My head follows the voice to my left and I see the medic who watched me die in the driver's seat. "I gotta contact my boss quick, so just shut up and stay quiet for now."

While he takes out a communication lacrima I can't help but wonder, did he save me? But why? I look over my body, and I'm still in my training gear, bloodied and ripped where I was stabbed. Not a single scar shows on my shoulder to prove that I'd ever been wounded there. I pull my shirt's collar down and look at my chest, but no trace of my stabbing remains.

"Master Hades, the boy has woken up. It appears that his magic didn't cause him to be stuck in a coma." The medic's report contains a few important words that shock me into further silence.

"Good, and you are certain that he has a lost magic?" A gravelly voice that I vaguely recognize from my past life comes from the lacrima.

"Certain. I watched as the boy was stabbed through the heart and already missing an arm. He fell to the ground and passed out. When I went to pick up his body, The flesh around his arm began to grow out and the wound on his chest sealed shut. I'm certain that this boy has some sort of Regeneration Magic. I've never heard of it, so it must be a lost magic, right?"

"Hmm, if what you say is true then yes, it would be." The voice pauses for a moment. "Are you certain that you escaped the camp without being followed?"

"Yes, as soon as it happened, I hid the boy in a body bag and carried him to the place they dumped the corpses. A ways past that, I had a magical vehicle hidden so I took him there and left. They shouldn't realize that I'm gone until tomorrow morning."

"Good. They will find out you were a spy, but for all they know, you left with a corpse. Bring the boy here as fast as possible, it's good that they still think him dead. We don't want them to catch up to you and find out the truth." With that said, the lacrima went dim and the connection ended.

"Really though," He looks over at me. "You're one lucky brat. If you didn't awaken that ridiculous magic when you did, nothing could have saved you."

I don't bother to respond. I have too much to think about. For now though, I'm alive, and that's all that matters.

* * *

What the hell is up with this?

I get reborn into Fairy Tail. Yay, awesome.

I'm the youngest member of the Strauss family, prominent Fairy Tail mages. That's also awesome, it should mean a free ticket to a fun life.

So what the hell went wrong?

Why is it that at six years old I've already met two of the three leaders of the Balam alliance?

This is what runs through my head as I stand before Hades, the guild master of Grimoire Heart, and possibly the strongest character in the series before the time skip. Well, minus Acnologia and Zeref, but they're total hacks anyways.

I already know the answer to my internal whining though. It's because I survived. The only reason that I got the chance to meet both of them is because I lived long enough for it to happen. As long as I stay alive, all sorts of opportunities will present themselves.

"Boy," Hades finally speaks up. "I am told that you have Regeneration Magic. Is this true?"

"I believe so. I lost my arm and was stabbed in the heart. When I woke up, I was back to perfect health. That's all I know." I answered him truthfully. Hopefully, he doesn't cut anything off to confirm it.

"Hmmm… To have awakened such a rare type of magic, you must have an incredibly strong desire for survival. Magic is born from emotion, so oftentimes our magic reflects our strongest desire. I see that you are quite the survivor." The old dark guild master mutters softly before regaining authority to his voice. "Now then, show me the arm that was cut off." I lift up my left arm and he grabs hold of it. After examining it for an uncomfortably long amount of time, he speaks up again. "I see. What you have isn't Regeneration Magic."

"What is it then?" I ask.

"Something else. Something more than just regeneration." He lets go of my wrist and thoughtfully tugs at his beard. "Regeneration Magic would restore your arm to the exact condition it was in when it was cut off. It doesn't heal old wounds from before you awakened your magic. All the records of it state this to be the case, but look at your palm. Your calluses are gone."

I'd noticed that before but thought it just was a part of the regeneration. If it's not then…

"Do you know what it is then?"

"I haven't heard of any magic like this before, but from what I can tell you created an entirely new arm rather than rebuilding the old one. Your magic manipulated your flesh and bones down to your very cells into the shape you most desired. In this case, that desire was simply to be whole again, without any wounds that could kill you." His gaze holds my eyes in place. "Basically, to be alive."

"So then," My mind was spinning, trying to come up with ways to apply this new information. "I could change my body into something else if I wanted?"

"Isn't that exactly what you did?" He asks. "You made a new arm without the calluses, but have you felt it. The skin is thicker, harder than what is possible for the raw human body. The flesh there is entirely different than the rest of your body. It's stronger. We'll call it Cell Manipulation Magic." After I don't respond to his naming sense, he speaks up once again. "Boy, what is your name?"

"S301." I'm not Cyrus Strauss. Not anymore.

"That's no good," Hades pauses to think for a moment before his eyes settle on my unkempt hair. "From now on, you're White, a member of Grimoire Heart. Do you know how old you are?"

"6" I welcome the new name. It's more human than being called by an experiment subject code, but not as human as my birth name. It feels the way I feel about myself. I don't have all my humanity anymore, I had to cast some of it aside in order to live. I don't regret it, I did it to survive and I would do it again, but my old name no longer matches who I am.

" I see, that's quite young to awake your magic at. I understand that you were at a soldier training camp. Do you have a preferred weapon?"

"I fight with a tanto, but I plan to use a full-sized katana when I'm bigger."

"I see. A swordsman." Once again, he falls silent and strokes his beard. "There is a Swordsman of some talent named Yomazu in the guild. He shall be your new combat instructor. Now, one last thing. Where do you want your guild mark?"

"It's just a magic projection, right? It doesn't actually enter my skin like a tattoo?" I ask.

"That's right. You can also choose its size and color."

"Then I would like it in red on my left eye, in the iris around the pupil."

* * *

I am now 7 years old and I spent the vast majority of the last year on Grimoire Heart's airship. They dedicated the year to training me, rather than assigning me any missions.

Training under Yomazu was a horrible experience. The first time I met that goat-faced bastard I knew I was going to hate him, and I was proven right soon after. Hades told him what my magic was and said that making me repair my body would help me learn to control it. That arrogant prick took that as an order to cut off my limbs every time I left an opening. I can't even keep track of the number of times I've had to make a new arm.

The only positive side is that my skill improved by leaps and bounds. Especially my defense, which was previously atrocious, was forced to improve quickly if I didn't want to feel some incredible pain. That, and I learned sword magic from him. I now incorporate Narukami into my quickdraw, increasing its destructive power several times over. I didn't bother learning Tsuranuki, which extends his blade, because I have a much more efficient way of accomplishing the same thing.

I look over at my weapon which is propped up alongside my bed. A pure white sword with a hilt and scabbard that looks like a human spine. Its length is somewhere between a tanto and a katana, but the key point is that I can change it at will.

Hades suggested that I make a blade from my own body, that if my control is good enough, I could make it harder than any metal. Originally using my teeth as a base, I spent the entire year experimenting and making it over again, denser and denser, until it got to the point where I'm confident it won't break. Right now it can cut steel, and the best part is that it will only grow stronger alongside me.

Hades is personally instructing me in magic, alongside some members of the future Seven Kin of Purgatory like Zancrow (he's already a lunatic and he's only 13) and Ultear (she's already got her claws sunk into the Tower of Heaven and Jellal). I had originally wanted to use my magic to force my body to grow to the size of an adult, but he told me not to. He said that it might affect the growth of my magic core and harm my potential. I've since found out that I can't really increase my overall body mass much anyway.

Instead, he had me work on repairing damage to my body and enhancing my physical properties, along with making the sword. Things like hardening my skin until regular knives can hardly pierce the surface, making my bones denser and denser until they would never break, or doing the same with my muscles to increase my physical strength to the maximum limit for my body's size. As a result, now, even when he manages to cut me, Yomazu hasn't been able to cause much more than flesh wounds. Considering that he can cut steel, that's saying a lot. An unexpected side effect of my modifications is that with density comes weight and I'm already approaching 300 pounds despite my diminutive height.

I haven't been allowed to start modifying my organs yet, but I did manage to dull my sense of pain with Hades' help. I normally keep it regular, but being able to dull it in battle will be a huge help with my magic.

Currently, I'm working on adding inhuman elements to my body. I'm trying to add another joint to my calves to increase my dash speed for my quickdraw. It would look kind of like that guy from Parasyte, getting rid of my heel and moving the joint further up. The speed of my morphing has gone up, so I should be able to do this right before battle and turn back right after. One of the most overpowered aspects of my magic is that it costs me almost no mana, so even as a child I have a lot of endurance in a fight. It only costs magic to manipulate my flesh, once it's been molded into shape, the effect is permanent and doesn't cost anything to hold until I decide to change back.

After I get the morphing idea down I want to work on enhancing my senses. I can catch a hawk to study its eyes and try to replicate them, catch a bat for hearing, and so on and so forth.

As you can see, I've been keeping busy for the past year and still have plenty to do in the future. So busy, that I didn't even realize that last year was x777, the year when everything gets set into motion. Not that it has anything to do with me right now.

Right now, I'm taking a break from my busy life of training because I overheard something interesting from Hades this morning.

I check the mirror to make sure I'm presentable to meet with my guild master.

My white hair sits in an unkempt high ponytail with messy bangs framing my face. My eyes are dark green, the bloodred guild mark gleaming in the left. Grimoire Heart doesn't require a uniform, so I'm wearing a black haori with purple scale patterns wrapping around it and intertwining. Under that, I have baggy black pants that tighten at the ankle. I'm barefoot to allow for me to morph my feet in combat.

When I put my sword at my hip in the haori's sash, I look like a miniature version of the Upper Moon One from Demon Slayer. Don't judge me, he looks badass!

With my preparations complete, I leave my bedroom, headed for the guild master's room.

"Master Hades, I wish to offer myself as the executioner for the matter you were discussing this morning." When I enter his room I get straight to the point, Hades doesn't like beating around the bush.

"You? Hmm, I didn't plan on sending you into combat for another year. However, hmm…" He strokes his beard, deep in thought. "Yes, this will work as an excellent test of your abilities. With your magic, you shouldn't die."

"Thank you, master Hades." I bow deeply.

"I don't know how much you heard, so I'll explain your job from the beginning. Sit down." He motions to a chair on the opposite side of his desk. "Recently, an alliance was made between Tartarus, ourselves, and a new dark guild run by Brain known as the Oracion Seis. This alliance is called the Balam Alliance, and while we will go public in the future, for now, we wish for our connection to remain unknown to the council. A man named Crowley is a higher up in the dark guild Dancing Coffin which works under Brain. I've received news that he has made a deal with the council, he will give them valuable information in exchange for having his record cleared."

"So you want him killed before he can rat out the alliance?" This is what I was waiting for. I heard an execution order for Crowley this morning and I knew I had to be the one to do it.

"Precisely. I don't know what information he plans on telling the council, or if he even knows about the alliance, but I'm not going to sit around and wait to find out. He obviously thinks it's worth a lot, and that's enough for me. He meets them in three days in Hargeon. Kill him before then. Brain sent me a teleport coin as an apology, I'll give it to you." He hands me the coin that I remember from the test and I pocket it and stand up.

"I won't let you down, master Hades." I bow once more before turning to leave.

"One more thing," Hades' voice stops me at the door. "This is a good opportunity for you to test out our secret little project. Don't you think?"

"... It will be done."

"White," He smiles at me. It's not at all a friendly smile. "Have fun."

* * *

I walk into a run-down inn in Hargeon. The deal is supposed to be made tomorrow, and I've tracked down Crowley to a room in this inn.

It's late at night and even the owners are asleep. I head straight to the counter and check the registry to find out what room he's at. I know he's going by the name Marvin Hunt, and I quickly find it and head there.

Standing in front of the door, I put the tip of my finger to the lock and shape my nail so it fits the keyhole. The door unlocks and I push it open in one swift motion before returning my hand to my sword. The door creaks loudly, but it doesn't matter, Crowley already knew I was here. His silence magic had already been cast in a range around his room, so no noise we make will be heard by anyone else. I guess he doesn't want to cause a commotion the day before his deal.

When I enter the room a blade comes flying for my neck, but my own sword meets it halfway. Crowley looks down at me and shock fills his face.

"You?! How the hell are you still alive, kid? I killed you." He backs away and gains some distance.

"You should have checked the corpse." My legs morph for a boost and I shoot forward at an impossible speed, drawing my blade and slashing at the same time.

Crowley barely reacts, not expecting such speed from me, and my blade catches his left arm, cutting it off at the elbow. I swing my sword to the side to throw the blood off, and sheathe it once more as he hisses in pain and backs up once more.

"Damn that hurts!" He sears the wound shut with minor fire magic. "You got a lucky hit, don't push your luck brat! I taught you that style, don't expect to catch me off guard again." He launches into an attack scimitar in hand.

His attacks are too fast, too well strung together, for me to block them all, and cuts start to build up. However, that's all they are, my tough skin prevents the blade from digging deep enough to cause any real damage. I need another opening, but it will be difficult when he's attacking like that. I can hate him all I want, but he's a good fighter.

In the middle of his flurry, I deliberately leave a gap in my defense that I know he won't miss. He lunges forward and runs his scimitar through my heart once again. A sneer covers his face as he pushes it in further.

"I don't know how you returned from the dead brat, but you can go back now." When he goes to pull his sword out, his whole body stumbles back instead. "What the?"

His arm falls to the ground and he falls to his butt. A scream of pain and fear is ripped from his throat when I slowly pull his blade out of my chest and let it fall to the floor.

"What the hell are you?!" His shaky voice, laden with fear, sends a shiver down my find. What a wonderful sound!

"I'm just someone who's here for your own good." My voice is imbued with more elation that I ever remember feeling, even before this. "I'm here to show you the reality of what it means for the weak to challenge the strong. I want to teach you all about how cruel this world can be." I slowly, carefully, happily begin to approach him.

"Wait! Waitwaitwaitwaitwait!" He scoots back until he's pressed against the wall. "We can talk this out! Money! I have money! However much you want! If it's not enough I can get more, just please, don't kill me!"

"Kill you?" I ask. "No. No no no no no. I don't want to kill you. Then what would be the point of the lesson?" I bring my mouth to his ear and start to whisper. "You see, I'm doing a little experiment that I need your help with."

"As…" Fear causes his voice to catch. "As long as you don't kill me I'll do anything."

"That's wonderful!" I lean back and smile brightly at him. "You see, Hades and I wondered what would happen if I tried to manipulate another person's flesh instead of my own. We tried it and it worked perfectly but then I got to thinking 'What else can I do?'." I trace my fingers around his head. "If I cut out your brain, can I control it? Can I keep you just alive enough to cast magic and carry you with me?"

Crowley was shaking his head so fiercely that I worried his neck might snap. Tears and snot streamed down his face. Liquid began to pool between his legs.

"Please, Please forgive me. I, I'll do anything, just please let me live." He pleads.

"Hmm, I thought I told you. You won't die." I press my blade up against the corner of his eye. "Well then, shall we begin?"

* * *

I hum to myself as I skip down one of Hargeon's alleys under the moonlight.

I'm just too happy.

I unsheathe my sword and look at the blade. There's a single closed eyelid imprinted along its side, a couple inches below the hilt. I concentrate on commanding it and the lid blinks open to expose a steel grey eyeball.

I laugh loudly, expressing the joy of my success to the world, but the world can't hear my celebration. Everything around me is locked in a bubble of silence. I command the eye to close and the bubble is gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Mirajane Strauss silently watched over her siblings from afar.

A month ago, they stumbled into the Fairy Tail guild hall, looking for a cure for her arm. Little did they know that they would find a home instead. The energy and excitement of the guild members has brought a smile to her siblings' faces and kept it there ever since. That's enough for her stay here. They've experienced too much pain in their lives. As long as she can protect the smiles of the family she has left, that will be enough.

Seeing Lisanna parading around the guild with a little pink-haired spitfire and watching Elfman timidly approach that vain girl, Evergreen, Mirajane can't help but wonder if her youngest sibling is living a life that allows for smiles right now. Cyrus' disappearance has left a shadow over the hearts of all three members of the Strauss family, but it rests heaviest on the eldest sister.

She was supposed to protect him. It's the job of the eldest child to keep those who come after her safe. A job that Mirajane failed to do.

She thinks about that day, 3 years ago, every night. She knew that mage was there. She knew that her sword-obsessed little brother would approach him.

Why didn't she warn him not to run off with strangers?

Why didn't she go with to keep an eye on him?

Why did she just assume that everything would be okay?

She left everything to her dad, and that got him killed. His dismembered corpse wasn't even fit for an open casket funeral. They say he most likely fought against the dark mage to save Cyrus. He was fighting for his life while she sat at home thinking about what kind of dress he would bring her.

Every night her mind keeps her awake, thinking about every way in which she failed her little brother. Thinking about what may have happened to him, about what sort of life he is probably living. Killed, violated, experimented on, sold into slavery, every horrible possibility imaginable runs through her mind on repeat when she thinks of what fate she left her little brother to face alone.

Now though, now Mirajane is a Fairy Tail mage. Now she can grow strong enough to hunt down the dark mages who stole away her family. She already knows who abducted her brother and killed her father. She just needs to grow strong enough to follow the trail.

Last week, Makarov, the guild master of Fairy Tail, had shown her a news article about an incident in Hargeon. The corpse of a man matching the description of the mage believed to be responsible for the incident 3 years ago was found in an old inn named The Mermaid's Cove. The scene was horribly graphic: his arms had been cut off and his skull was carved open. Blood and brain matter were strewn about the room, and his killer had taken a portion of his brain with him, along with his left eye.

The condition of the crime scene aside, the discovery was huge. The man was identified as Crowley Rouge, a known high-ranking member of the dark guild Dancing Coffin. Even more convincing is that Dancing Coffin is known to specialize in the kidnapping of children throughout Fiore. Mirajane is convinced that they are the ones who stole Cyrus from her.

She wanted to rush out to hunt them down right away, but Makarov wouldn't let her. She's not strong enough to fight a dark guild yet and they both know it. Makarov assured her that he had sent Gildarts, the strongest mage in Fairy Tail, after them. He said that he would bring her brother back.

Makarov and Gildarts are the only ones in the guild who know about Cyrus. She asked for nobody else to be made aware so that her siblings don't need to be reminded of it.

Mirajane has faith that her little brother is still alive. She can feel it.

Where are you, Cyrus? Wait for me, I promise I will save you know matter what!

Her vow is interrupted when a red-haired girl waves a sword in her face.

"Mira, quit lazing around and properly train your magic. Don't you have any desire to grow stronger, you She-Devil?" The self-righteous honor student asks.

Seeing the sword gives a pang of pain in her heart before it's overcome with anger and her fist knocks the red-head flat on her backside. The guild erupts into brawls and laughter and Mirajane has one last thought before Erza tackles into her and her mind is enraptured in the fight.

I wonder what you're doing right now, Cyrus.

* * *

Screams of fear and pain turn to incoherent gurgles as blood begins to fill my target's throat. My blade carves around her eye socket and into the brain matter behind. Now that I've done this before, it's a lot less messy than last time.

Finally, the convulsions cease and her lovely purple eyeball slides up my blade and into place, a few inches below the other. It's connected to a thin trail of brain matter that bunches up and sinks into the blade beneath it. A year after acquiring Crowley's magic, I've finally found another that suits my interests.

The purple eye blinks open and I teleport to the edge of the treeline, outside the recently emptied dark guild.

A year ago, after the Crowley incident, Hades gave me an offer.

"How would you like to make this your permanent position in the guild?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The Balam Alliance requires secrecy, we can't allow too much information to enter the ears of the council." He explains. "For this, an executioner is necessary. Someone to eliminate any possible information leaks before they happen. It would be his job to see nobody as an ally and to kill whenever and whoever his assignment tells him to. I think you would fit this role nicely."

"Why me? Why not someone who has been in the guild longer?" I inquire.

"Because you are loyal only to your own life." He pointed out. "Something which I have complete power over. You would not hesitate to kill someone you lived with for years if it meant you yourself would survive. That's the type of person you are."

"I understand." I can't afford to oppose Hades right now, he's far too much stronger than I am.

"So, you accept? Good!" The old fox claps me on the shoulder. "With your abilities, this is a really good deal for you. You will have plenty of chances to add more magic to your sword on your assignments. Every time I give you a target, I will make sure to tell you about their magic so you can decide if it's worth taking. You are dismissed, I'll call on you when I have a target prepared. Make sure you are ready."

Since then, I've killed dozens. Oftentimes my targets have been entire guilds because they had been sniffed out by the council and we wanted to make sure that they didn't get the chance to interrogate any of them.

My first assignment was just like that. Apparently, Gildarts of all people was on the trail of Dancing Coffin, so I had to kill them all before he could find them. Luckily, I completed it without running into him, but I was terrified and rushing the entire time. I won't lie and say that I didn't have any thoughts of meeting him and asking for refuge, but I squashed those thoughts as soon as they came.

I don't have any right to stand with a light guild after what I've done. Besides, even if I did, there's no guarantee that they would accept me. I think it's more likely that the council would find out about me and demand that I'm locked away. Even if my current life is a dangerous and sinful existence, at least I have a secure place where I can survive.

Anyway, that brings me to my most recent activity.

The purple eye blinks open again and I teleport once more.

The target this time was a dark guild called The Red Fang. When I looked through their members and abilities, one stood out to me. Salia Ferz, a weak and unremarkable mage with very little power. Her magic let her teleport anywhere in her line of sight. While the ability is remarkable, her magic power is so small that she could only use it a laughable 3 times a day. Otherwise, I would have never caught her.

However, with my mana pool, it's a different story. After a year of experimentation, I've found out both good and bad news about my ability to "steal" magic.

The bad thing is that attack magic doesn't work well with it. I can only force them to use their magic in its most basic application, so if I were to take Natsu's super powerful Dragon Slayer Magic, all I would be able to do would be make a flame. I wouldn't be able to control it. This means I can only really utilize support magic with it. Like creating a bubble of silence around me, I can control the size, but nothing else. With this new addition, I can teleport anywhere I look. No manipulation or control involved.

The upside is that keeping them alive to use their magic takes almost no drain on my mana pool. I will be able to collect up to five different magic types on it before the burden on my mana outweighs my passive regeneration. I have to be selective in my choices, but this is already a huge boon for me.

That teleport coin only had a limited amount of uses and broke after I returned to the base from the Crowley assignment. Hades was furious when he learned that Brain had scammed him, but I was more inconvenienced that I lost the ability to teleport. Even though this new magic is of a much smaller scale in terms of teleport distance, It's much more reliable than a magic item.

I continue to chain together teleports in the sky, giggling with childish delight at the feeling, all the way until I return to the airship.

The next day the Rune Knights' raid on The Red Fang's base is met with the sight of 30 headless corpses. Sat against the wall in front of the guildhall is a black-haired woman. All four of her limbs are lying on the ground around her and she only has one, purple eye. The other eye socket is a bloody cavity, brain matter leaking out.

* * *

In a dim, candle-lit room 10 people rest around a table. Year x781 in Earthland is coming to a close and the Seven Kin of Purgatory has been fully established.

Zancrow, the psychopathic fire-god slayer, sits with his arms crossed and his feet on the table. Only he knows what he's thinking about. He doesn't like me because we had a spar last year where I nearly killed him. He still has a thin scar across his throat to prove it, I had to use my magic to close it up to stop him from bleeding out.

Azuma, the battle-crazed mammoth of a man, is seated next to him. I actually don't mind him, don't like him either though. We haven't interacted much. I think he can't look past the fact that I'm a kid and refuses to see me as strong. I'm not complaining though, the more people who underestimate me, the higher my survival rate goes.

Rustyrose is sitting between myself and Azuma. I thoroughly despise this man. He uses flowery language and acts upright, but underneath it is a lunatic just as bad as Zancrow. The only difference is that he hides it behind his theatrics.

I am officially ten years old, but my size is extraordinarily large for that age. I don't think it has to do with my magic so much as being related to Elfman. Luckily, I'm tall and my frame matches my height, but I'm not ridiculously broad like my elder brother. I'm still dressed in my Upper Moon One cosplay (though I will never admit that out loud) and my sword rests at my hip, now a full-length katana.

Across from me sits Ultear Milkovich, she's ridiculously hot. I never would have believed that someone could be this hot in real life. It almost makes me scared to encounter a lot of the characters from the series, because Ultear was never even close to the most attractive character. That said, she's a deluded and manipulative bitch who I can't stand either.

Next to her is Meredy, who is actually the same age as me, though she has been in the guild for a year longer than I have. Meredy is the member of the Kin who I've interacted with the most. Being of the same age, she seeks me out to talk a lot. She's childish and naive, but I don't dislike her. She's difficult to deal with though.

Speaking of dislike, next along the table is Caprico, aka Zoldeo. I hate that rat. Enough said.

Last among the Kin, playing with a doll (a regular one) at the end of the table, is Kain Hikaru. I honestly don't know what to make of him. He's an idiot, a clumsy fool who doesn't know how to act properly. Don't get me wrong, he's just as much of a scumbag as the rest of us, just a dumb one.

At the end of the table sits the old bastard responsible for gathering all of us scumbags into one place. Hades looks over us as he listens to each of our reports on our recent activities. Ultear is currently updating us on the state of the Tower of Heaven and the magic council.

Standing in the shadows behind Hades is someone of particular interest to me. Bluenote Stinger is undoubtedly stronger than any of the Seven Kin of Purgatory. That goes without question. I believe that I can also make that claim for myself, but I'm well aware that he is stronger than me right now. Still, I can't help but think that his silver eyes would look good along my blade.

"... and so, with my recommendation, it shouldn't be very difficult to get Jellal accepted into the council as a wizard saint within the next year or two." Ultear begins to wrap up her report. "The Tower of Heaven should be ready for completion in 3 years' time."

"Good. Well done Ultear, you've gone beyond my expectations once again." Hades praises.

"If we're done here, can I leave already?" Zancrow drawls out before pointing his finger down the table at me. "It gives me the creeps being in the same room as this brat."

"Very well, you all may leave." Hades concedes. "White, stay here."

I remain silently seated while the seven Kin file out of the room. Zancrow shoves my shoulder as he passes.

"What do you need from me, master Hades?" I only speak up once it's just the three of us remaining.

"A new guild has recently popped up, one that walks a fine line between being a dark guild and a light guild. It's called Raven Tail."

"You wish for them to be eliminated?" I inquire with an even voice. I'm a bit surprised, but I had expected my presence to cause some events to deviate from canon.

"Not exactly. Truth be told, I am unsure what to make of them yet." Hades confesses. "Their founder is the son of Makarov Dreyar of Fairy Tail, Ivan Dreyar, though he is currently going by the name Alexei. He seems to be a man ruled by greed, but I am undecided on how to deal with him."

"Then, what do you wish for me to do?"

"You are the only member of Grimoire Heart who is strong enough to deal with him, while also being unknown to the public." He states. "You will investigate Raven Tail. If you feel that they would be beneficial to us, you will make contact with Ivan Dreyar. If you feel otherwise, I leave it up to your discretion."

"Understood," I respond. "When do I begin?"

"You will head out tomorrow."

* * *

From high above in the air, I look down upon a rocky wasteland. My hawk eyes pick up a warped and sinister-looking castle sitting alone in the distance.

Seriously, how did they ever get approved as a light guild?

As I beat the wings that have sprouted from my neck to stay hovering in place, my mind contemplates how I should approach this.

Hades said to observe them and make a decision, but that's not my style. Hades is well aware that I don't care about whether they are an asset or not. All I care about is my own life and growing stronger to better protect it, and he knows this. In which case, why would he give me this job?

I can only assume that he wants me to kill them, but while still being able to claim that he didn't order it. That it was my own decision. Why though? Is there someone backing Ivan, or is it just a whim? If it's the former, killing him could endanger my life. However, I have no choice. Opposing Hades' wishes will get me killed. I choose uncertainty over certain death. Hopefully, it's just a whim.

Besides, Ivan uses very high-level illusion magic, something that I have been searching for for a long time. Perhaps Hades knew this and merely wished to strengthen his pawn. The more I think about it the more I feel that this is the most probable option. His magic is very appealing after all.

I lick my lips with a twisted grin on my face before I partially draw my sword and the second eye blinks open. I appear directly in front of the Raven Tail guildhall's front doors and my fleshy wings retract back into my neck. I don't waste any time pushing the doors open and walking in. The wide hall is filled with about 50 people, but only 3 feel somewhat strong.

The first eye on my sword opens up as the second closes and a bubble encases the room, separating it from the outside world in a cage of silence.

"Narukami Flash" I whisper out the name of my spell.

My sword flies out of its sheath and a sickle of dark magic follows its path, many times faster than when used by Yomazu. Only I am capable of tracking its path and the thin black-haired teen of the trio falls to the ground. Head cleanly separated from his shoulders.

"Kurohebi!" The purple butt-chin shouts and swings a spiked fist at me, which I side-step and detach from his body with another flash of my sword.

The tall blue man approaches me, but I remember that he's just a puppet, even those it wasn't in my intelligence report. I dodge past it and draw my blade in the direction of the wooden puppet looking creature. It doesn't make any move after it sees that I didn't cast Narukami. It believes itself to be out of range.

"Extend." Halfway through my slash, I whisper out another spell and my blade extends to almost reach the opposite wall.

The creature's head is freed from its body and 13 mob mages who were close to exiting the range of my silence magic were cleaved in half. With the purple man still huddled on the floor cradling his new stump for a wrist, I get to work on the rest of the mob mages.

Head after head falls to the floor and the stench of death pervades the area. I'm a little overly excited at the thought of getting another type of magic, so I can't help the grin on my face. I don't enjoy killing, but it's necessary. You all understand, right? It's all for the sake of my survival. No hard feelings.

"Oops!" I dodge to the side after beheading the last of the mob mages. A purple spike passes by where I was previously standing. "Be careful with that! What would you do if someone got hurt?" I caution the silly man.

"You bastard!" He growls out. "What have you done to Master Alexei?! Why hasn't he come to help us?"

"Hmmm, why I haven't done anything to him," My sword passes through the last neck in the room and the first eye closes once his body hits the floor. "Yet."


	7. Chapter 7

Ivan Dreyar had a sudden, inexplicable bad feeling. A cold shiver washed down his spine and an annoying throbbing came from the back of his head. He could see nothing that may have caused this feeling, but it was there nonetheless.

He was seated in his office on the second floor of the Raven Tail guildhall. His Raven Tail guild. He smiled to himself at the thought.

You'll see Makarov! His mind is occupied with thoughts of savoring the look on his father's face on the day that his guild surpasses Fairy Tail. Dark chuckles fill the room and his feeling is brushed to the side.

A couple minutes later, the scent of blood trails into his office.

Immediately, Ivan jumps to his feet and makes for the door. This isn't just some guild brawl, not even a simple murder when the fights get out of hand. No, when the stench of blood becomes this pungent, it can only mean one thing.

A massacre.

Ivan Dreyar swings the door open and steps out into the hall dressed in his armor and mask as "Alexei". Turning to head down to the main hall, he freezes in place.

Standing at the end of the corridor, just in front of the door to the library, is a ten-year-old child. The child is wearing a black haori with a purple scale pattern which almost looks like the body of a large serpent coiled around him. He thinks it's a boy, but it's hard to tell, what with the long white ponytail that falls down its back. What looks like a human spine sits at the child's hip like a sword.

"Ah," The child exclaims upon seeing him. "Hold on a moment. Just one more, then I'll be ready for you." The voice makes Ivan believe that the child is a boy. He sounds far too happy considering the strength of the bloody odor on his body.

Before Ivan has a chance to gather his thoughts about the bizarre situation, the boy enters the library and a thud sounds out a moment later. The sound of liquid dripping to the ground accompanies the boy's footsteps as he returns to the hallway. When he's back within sight, his left hand is gripping the hair of an elderly woman. It's Margret, the guild librarian, copious amounts of blood escape from the spot where her body should be.

"Ok then," The boy rolls her head to Ivan's feet. "I'm ready to play with you now!"

"Boy-chan, what have you done to my guild?" Ivan calmly asks, he needs to get information first. "Who are you?"

"I'm White." The boy chirps. "As for what I'm doing, I just came here to play a little bit."

"Then, White-chan, what shall we play?" As Ivan talks, he casts an illusion to hide the fact that he's been approaching the child.

"Hmm," The boy puts his finger to his chin. "Then how about a game of tag? I'll be it, so don't let me catch you too ea-*Cough*" Ivan plunges a paper dagger into the White's stomach, twisting it further in as blood spills out of the boy's mouth.

"White-chan, it's really no good if you underestimate me like that. It's truly distasteful to kill a child, but that doesn't really apply to you." He gloats. "A little devil who reeks of death like you can hardly be considered a child." He lets his magically created-dagger fade away and walks past the boy in the direction of the main hall.

Ivan still has to see what happened there. If this boy really did kill most of his guild members, he can only hope that at least Kurohebi, Nullpudding, and Obra are alive. If they are alive, there's still a chance to rebuild.

"I thought I said that I was 'it'," A voice pouts from behind him. "Oh well, now it's your turn anyway. Narukami Flash." Ivan hastily turns around, but before he completes the motion he loses his balance and falls to the ground.

An excruciating rush of pain, worse than anything Ivan has ever felt, shoots up his leg. When he looks down to see what happened, there is nothing left below the knee. Half of his leg is lying on the ground perpendicular to his body, both flesh and armor have been cleanly cut through.

"You're 'it'."

Ivan screams in pain, rolling about the floor, but the boy just dips his fingers in the puddle of blood on the floor.

"What the hell are you?!" Ivan shouts, trying to gather his magic enough to cast another illusion. "How aren't you dead?!"

"Dead?" The devil tilts his head to the side. "I can't die, silly. If I died, how would we keep playing our game?"

"You're insane!" Ivan's image talks to White, but his real body is leaning against the wall and hopping down the corridor, slowly but steadily making his escape.

"I said you're it." A gash is cut into the wall, not even 5 inches in front of Ivan's face. "Why are you trying to leave?"

Damn it! He couldn't tell that I was using an illusion last time, how does he know where I am now? Ivan's mind raced, it shouldn't be possible to see through his illusions. Just when he starts to think it was a fluke, he spots something at the edge of his vision. A taut red line of blood connects his leg to White's right index finger.

"What the hell is that?" He sends a paper blade to cut through it, but the blood simply reconnects itself right after.

"I control cells, why should blood be any different?" Comes the calm explanation. "Now hurry up and start playing. You can't get away."

"Damn it! Shikigami Torrent!" Ivan sends streams of magically sharpened paper dolls flying at White, each one tearing into his skin. However, the boy shows no signs of pain and demented laughter fills the air.

"YES! That's how it should be!" The boy's body starts to shift, his legs bend back and his bare feet no longer look human. His toes are now hardened claws and they dig into the floor as he lowers himself into a stance. "My turn." He whispers out and disappears from Ivan's sight.

Ivan turns around to see that the boy had crashed into the wall on the opposite side of the building, severely cracking the stonework and leaving a massive splatter of blood on it. Did he just crack open his head and die?

"Gosh, this is embarrassing. I really need to learn how to slow down." White pulls himself up and looks back at Ivan. His face is repairing itself at a visible rate, but he looks confused. "You're not going to scream this time?" He points to the floor in front of Ivan.

Ivan follows his finger and sees his own right arm on the floor in front of him. He screams out of equal parts fear and pain and falls to the ground once again. Desperately, he crawls away from the boy.

My illusions won't work, that devil heals any damage it takes, and it attacks too fast for me to see. I can't fight it. I have to run, but it's too fast! I won't make it!

Ivan's thoughts are a mess, fear and panic overcoming his mind. For the first time in his life, he begins to think he might die.

No! I don't want to die! I'm scared!

He crawls to the door of his office, knowing that he won't make it to the end of the hall.

"You're quitting again?" He looks over his shoulder at the devil that invaded his home. It hasn't moved any closer, but he knows it could reach him in an instant. "Oh well, how about this? I'll be 'it' again, but I'll give you ten seconds to run away. Let's have fun, okay?" The boy cutely claps his hands together and tilts his head to the side. Ivan's heart drops at the boy's words, knowing that he can't run if he wanted to. "10"

Why is this happening to me?!

Tears and snot stream down Ivan's face as he desperately crawls for the door with his two remaining limbs.

"9"

I'm scared!

Ivan struggles to pull his body up high enough to reach the doorknob.

"8"

I don't want to die!

The door swings open and he falls inside.

"7"

I can't die here!

He slams the door shut and begins to drag himself towards his desk.

"6"

Somebody! help me!

His hand touches the leg of his desk.

"5"

Anybody!

He heaves his body forward and to the other side. His golden mask falls off.

"4"

Please!

He opens the bottom drawer and pulls out a lacrima.

"3"

Dad!

He tries to connect to the Fairy Tail lacrima.

"2"

Save me!

"Ivan? I thought I told you to never contact me again." For the first time in as long as he can remember, Ivan Dreyar is happy to hear his father's voice.

"Save-" The lacrima is cut in half and the communication cuts off. The devil is standing in the open doorway.

"Sorry, I hope that wasn't anything important." The sincere regret in the devil's voice makes Ivan's stomach curl. "I got bored."

"Wait, wait!" Ivan's back is against the desk and his only remaining hand is waving in front of him. "Don't kill me! I have money, lots of it. If that's no good, I can even give you my guild! Whatever you want, just let me go!"

"You don't have to worry about dying, Ivan Dreyar." The devil purrs. "But I can't let you go." White brings his face directly in front of Ivan's and emerald green eyes stare into black. "I have my orders you see."

"That mark," There's no mistaking the red symbol in the monster's eye. "What does Grimoire Heart want with me?! What did I ever do?!" Ivan cries out, tears still pouring out.

"Nothing really. Just blame your bad luck that I was the one sent here." White states in a bland tone before that manic smile returns to his face. "Now then, enough with the boring stuff. Let's get to the main event!" He holds up his hand and, one by one, his fingers turn into sharp blades.

Slowly, painfully, he sinks them into Ivan's eye socket and carves a circle around it.

"No! Stop! It hurts! It hurts it hurts It hurts it hurts It hurts it hurts!" Ivan screams out until his throat tears and blood begins to spray out with his words, but White never stops and he never speeds up. Even as his face and hair are stained red, he maintains the same excruciating pace, using magic to keep Ivan awake for the entire process.

The devil takes his time to inflict the most pain he can. To make sure that his toy lasts for as long as possible.

Two hours later, the boy walks out of Raven Tails guildhall admiring his sword. There is a third eye with a black iris looking back at him.

* * *

Hades ended the scrying magic that he'd been using to monitor White with a heavy sigh.

Normally, the boy is so unexpressive and emotionless that he comes off as robotic. Once he finds something that can make him stronger though, he begins to become unhinged. Hades has seen it a few times now, and each viewing is just as unsettling as the last.

Once White begins to unravel, it's already too late for anyone in his way. With every kill, every drop of blood spilled, his veil of sanity is pulled further and further away. Eventually, he is overcome by his bloodlust, fueled by the death and chaos around him.

When that happens, the boy becomes something that Hades would hesitate to even call human. He becomes a monster in every sense of the word. A monster more ruthless and cruel than any he had ever seen in the past.

Hades remembers the first time he saw the boy's mask fall off.

He was watching White's first mission, an execution order for a member of the guild who had trained him before. He didn't detect any abnormalities as he watched the fight, all the way up until White's chest was pierced by the target's sword.

At first, Hades was merely shocked by the fact that there existed someone who would willingly allow his heart to be pierced, just to expose an opening in their enemy's defense. Then he noticed the boy's face.

It was an expression that didn't belong to a 7-year-old child. White pulled the sword out of his chest with a face of euphoria so great that had he been any older, Hades would have been convinced he had climaxed. His eyes were rolled up and an inhumanly wide smile stretched his mouth.

His voice after that was chilling, even when it wasn't directed at Hades himself. The man pleaded for his life through his sobs, but White paid him no heed. He lavished in the man's suffering and kept that horrible smile on his face, even as he carved out his brains.

That insanity is most likely something he carried over from his time in Brain's experiment. Nobody could enter something like that at such a young age and survive, not unless they're completely insane on the inside.

Honestly, Hades is a little bit afraid of the boy. He is stronger than him for now, but White's magic is an anomaly. He doesn't know for sure if he could kill the boy. Keeping a monster on a leash always comes with the risk of being eaten by it. However, the old master of Grimoire Heart has already committed to his decision.

If he is going to raise a monster, it will be the most vicious monster in the entire world. A monster that will tear apart anything that he puts in its path. It will be an unstoppable blade, an unavoidable death for anyone who would be an enemy to Hades.

* * *

Mirajane Strauss cried and cried, but no amount of tears would help her.

She had lost another sibling.

Lisanna had died.

Mirajane failed to protect her little siblings yet again. She was arrogant and stupid. She picked a quest that was above her level, thinking nothing could threaten her, and Lisanna and Elfman paid the price for it.

The monster had beaten her and Elfman had to force himself to try Take Over Magic on something too strong for him to control in an attempt to protect her. Even when Elfman lost control, she could do nothing but watch as the beast took over. Lisanna was the one to step forward and try to save him. Only her death brought Elfman back to his senses. They never even found her corpse.

Mirajane is a failure of an older sister. She was impatient to get stronger, to find a lead on Cyrus. She was so focused on finding her missing little brother, that she overlooked the two siblings she still had. She took them for granted and now she has lost someone precious yet again.

Even her magic has given up on her. She can't feel her magic at all. Now that Lisanna is dead, she can't muster up the power to fight. Makarov always said that magic runs on emotions. Her magic was fueled by her powerful desire to save her little brother, but Lisanna is dead. She can't save her.

Maybe she has subconsciously given up on Cyrus as well. Maybe that's why her magic wasn't strong enough to save Lisanna. Magic based on wishful thinking that she doesn't truly believe can't possibly be strong enough to protect anyone.

Mirajane can't help but think that she's just too pathetic as she cries into her pillow. She knows that at a time like this, she should be there for Elfman. Elfman probably feels just as bad as she does, but she just can't do it. She's scared that he will blame her and come to hate her. She knows that it's all her fault and he has every right to hate her, but hearing that from her only remaining family would kill her. She's such a terrible big sister.

Cyrus, I'm sorry but your big sister can't do this anymore. She's giving up.

Mirajane's heart feels like someone took a hammer to it as soon as she finished that thought.

* * *

Honestly, Hades should be more considerate of me. He sends me out to every little dark guild that he thinks is about to go under these days. I can't even remember the last time I had more than a week to myself. I'm just a kid Hades, treat me more carefully you jerk!

I internally grumble to myself as I walk through the woods on yet another execution. He's been having me do so many of these that I've become famous in Earthland's underworld. They even gave me an edgy moniker! The Balam Executioner, they call me.

Still, it's not all bad this time.

Four days ago, this guild's master came to the Grimoire Heart airship to ask Hades for help. You can see for yourself how that went, but some good did come from her visit.

I was bored, so I chatted with her for a bit. She looked terrified, but she answered honestly to all my questions. Naturally, those questions were about her magic, and it's really quite interesting. It's called Body Restriction magic, and anybody she touches can't move for a time after. I couldn't help but notice that her blue eyes were quite pretty as well.

I have high hopes for her magic because the last one was a bit of a letdown. Ivan Dreyar's illusion magic requires finer control than my manipulation allows me to have. All that I can manage is to cast illusions on the sword itself. Things like changing its perceived length or shape, or shifting its position a few inches to the side.

Don't get me wrong, those effects are still tremendously helpful. It's just that compared to what he could do with it, it's really lackluster.

Still, I cheer myself up as I near my destination. I saw something in the Fiore newspaper yesterday that made it hard for my mood to stay down ever since.

There was a guild war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord 3 days ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter, but we finally arrive at the main story's timeline. Probably going to slow down the story's pace a bit now that we are in actual story arcs, less long skips.
> 
> Lisanna is dead and Cyrus is slipping more and more into insanity.
> 
> Also, I do understand that Obra's magic canceling would have been a desirable ability, but I ignored it for a few reasons. One, it felt to me like a BS ability, it was unexplained how he did it and he reduced magic power to zero in an instant. That's way too op. Two, I think it would make things boring, much for the same reason. Three, I always understood it as some type of innate magic that Obra had as a monster, so it probably wouldn't work for Cyrus anyway.


	8. Chapter 8

Mystogan was perplexed.

It had only been three days since the guild war with Phantom Lord where he attacked all the enemy's subdivisions on his own. Ideally, he would take a short rest after such a large task, but the anima won't wait for him to catch his breath.

He had stopped by the guild during their rebuilding process to accept a quest near the spot that he'd calculated the anima to appear. The anima was sealed with no issues, but the quest is what has him confused.

It was only a regular low-level dark guild suppression quest for a guild called Cyclops' Eye, nothing unusual for an S-class mage. He even completed it without any issues either, capturing all 23 members of the guild. He's currently waiting for a squad of Rune Knights to come and pick them up, but he can't get his mind off it. It was just too unusual.

The first sign of abnormality was that the entire guild base was abandoned, many items left behind. It felt like they were in a rush to leave, but they shouldn't have known that Mystogan was coming for them. Even if they did, dark mages are usually far too arrogant to flee from a light mage. They know that light mages try not to go for the kill, and it makes them think that they have an advantage. Even if one or two people might flee, it's highly unlikely that the entire guild would.

The second was that they hardly fought back at all. As soon as their first attack failed, they surrendered and allowed themselves to be captured. They even lined up and ushered him to hurry it along. It's as if the moment they saw that they might have to slow down, they decided to take the quickest route out of there. Even if it meant going to a jail cell.

The third is…

"Don't you understand me?! You need to get us out of here now! We can't afford to wait for the Rune Knights! If we don't leave now, we're all as good as dead!" The blonde guild leader, a woman who looks like she could be Lucy Heartfilia's evil blue-eyed aunt, shouts at her captor.

They're all still terrified of something. Even though they've seen how strong he is, they don't seem to have any faith in his ability to protect them from whatever they're scared of. Maybe they just don't believe that he would be willing to save them.

"Don't worry, I'm an S-class mage from Fairy Tail. I won't let anything happen to you until you're all in the custody of the Rune Knights." Mystogan assures them, but they don't look like they feel any better.

"It doesn't matter if you let anything happen or not." The woman screams in frustration, she's so scared that tears are beginning to build up. "If that monster finds us, nobody can stop it from killing us all. Do you have any idea how many people that thing has killed? What does your 'S-class' count for in front of a monster like that?"

Mystogan was surprised. He hadn't expected them to be completely assured when they heard his rank, but he had at least thought that they would gain some confidence. Just what kind of fear has been implanted in them?

"Then tell me, what is this monster? Why are you so certain that I will lose against it?"

The woman hesitates and looks to the ground. Apparently, this is sensitive information. Eventually, she finds her resolve and meets his eyes.

"You had better be serious about ensuring my safety after this because if they find out I told you about him, I'm dead." She takes a deep breath. "He's called the Balam Executioner, though I've heard his real name is White. His job is to kill anyone who might give up information about the Balam Alliance, whether they're traitors or if they've simply been found out like us." She sneers at him. "As for why you will lose, it's because you cannot win. Even if you're right and you are stronger than him, he's a monster who can't die, can't be stopped. Nobody who's ever been marked by him has survived because he doesn't lose. Not ever."

Well, that sounds like a problem. If he's a high-ranking member of the Balam Alliance, that leaves only three possible guilds. The Oracion Seis, Grimoire Heart, or Tartarus. None of the three sound like someone he wants to fight while protecting 23 prisoners. He's never even heard of a Balam Executioner before, but he has seen what is likely his work.

For the fast few years, almost every time a dark guild with suspected ties to the Balam Alliance is cornered, the entire guild would be wiped out by the time the raid arrives. Mystogan had been a member of one of those raids in the past, and the scene was horrible. Every single person had been decapitated and left in a heap on the floor. It didn't even look like they were able to fight back.

To this day, the council still has no idea who was responsible for these massacres and has a large bounty posted for any information on the culprit. It may be dangerous, but Mystogan needs to find out as much information as possible now that a lead has finally shown itself.

"I need more details than that." He had processed all that information in a second and spoke without pause. "Tell me everything you know about him. His name is White. What is his age? Appearance? Guild? Magic? Anything and everything you know about him."

"We don't have time for this damn it!" She curses at the Fairy Tail mage. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know later, just get us out of here now!"

"We can make time," Mystogan states. "And you will talk, now."

"Ok, ok, but we leave as soon as I'm done." She relents, but the hard look in her eye's remains as she glares at the Fairy Tail mage. "Ok, like I said, his name is White. I've heard he's only thirteen, but he's tall, so he looks 15 or 16. When I saw him, he was wearing a black and purple haori with black pants and bare feet. Um, what else. Oh, his hair is pure white, like snow. He keeps it in a messy ponytail that's kind of spiky. His eyes are emerald green and his left eye has a red guild mark in it. His guild is Grimoire Heart."

That's not good, Mystogan thought. It would be best if it was the Oracion Seis, where all members were public knowledge, but that physical description doesn't match any of the known members of Grimoire Heart. At least it's not Tartarus, who is a complete unknown. Still, once he puts together a mental image for White, Mystogan can't help but think that he's heard a similar description before.

"And his magic?" He asks.

"Well, honestly nobody knows." She admits. "He carries a sword at his waist, so it probably has to do with that, but then the rumors that he's immortal wouldn't make sense. There are also rumors that he can steal other people's magic. Honestly, I think he's just some kind of demon."

"I see, I'm going to report this to my guild master, then I will take you all away from here to the nearest Rune Knight base." Mystogan pauses before his gaze softens a bit. "You were a big help, I'll try to make sure you get a lighter sentence after this."

"Report to him later, get us out of here now if you're really grateful!" She exasperates. "A lighter sentence won't help me if I die first!"

"You will be safe. I will only move around the treeline for privacy. I will still be able to hear if anyone approaches." Mystogan assures her.

"Fine, just please hurry." Her eyes lose their bite and she becomes a simple scared woman, not an angry dark mage. "I met him in person 4 days ago, and that thing wasn't a human. He's something else. He looked at me like I was a juicy slab of meat. Not in a sexual way, but in a more literal sense. He was a carnivore looking at his prey. All he wanted to know was what kind of magic I had. I know that he wants to steal it." She reaches out with her cuffed hands and grabs onto Mystogan's cloak. "He absolutely won't let me get away, so you have to protect me! Please!"

Without another word, Mystogan disappears from her sight and reappears on a tree branch a short distance away. All he has to do is look around the trunk he's leaning against to have a perfect view of the clearing and all 23 captives.

Mystogan pulls out a communication lacrima and contacts Makarov.

"Mystogan, what is it?" Makarov's voice comes through the magic device.

"I've acquired some information that you need to know as soon as possible."

"Let's hear it then." Makarov's voice is solemn, if it's Mystogan who says that, he knows this is big.

After Mystogan finishes reporting everything the dark guild leader told him, there is a moment of silence before Makarov speaks up.

"Well now, that is a problem." His voice is incredibly grave.

Mystogan and Mavarov are both well aware that this is likely the culprit who killed Ivan, Makarov's son. Even though they were far from close, Ivan still called Makarov for help in his final moments. The cheerful old man was gloomy and depressed for months after that.

"Do you want me to apprehend him?" Mystogan asks.

"No, it's too dangerous. It's enough that you learned so much. Get those people safely handed over to the Rune Knights and come back." Makarov hesitates before dropping a bombshell. "A 13-year-old boy in a dark guild with white hair and green eyes, even the sword matches. This will be difficult to tell poor Mira."

That was it! It felt familiar because Mirajane Strauss had come to him with that same description, years ago. Her youngest brother, Cyrus, had been kidnapped by a dark guild at a very young age and she had been looking for him ever since. When Lisanna died and she lost her magic, she came to each of Fairy Tail's S-class mages and asked them to keep an eye out for anyone matching the description.

"I'll be back soon." Mystogan cut off the communication and returned to the clearing.

Immediately, he took the lacrima back out and contacted Makarov once again. He cut his guild master off before he cut talk when the connection went through.

"There's been a problem here," he states, fury barely kept in check.

"What happened?" A concerned voice cautiously ventures.

"They're all dead."

All 23 captured dark guild members lie dead in the clearing. Unlike his usual work, only their throats have been slit. All except for the guild leader, the woman who had just begged Mystogan to protect her.

Her left eye was carved out along with part of her brain, Some of her nails were broken, but all of them were covered with blood and skin from where she scratched and struggled against her assailant. The cuffs that he had put on her had prevented the woman from truly defending herself. Her face was immortalized in a look of fear and pain.

Mystogan clenched his fist in anger. How hadn't he noticed? He was only a few feet away, yet he hadn't heard anything. He promised to protect her, a Fairy Tail promise, and he broke it.

* * *

Makarov Dreyar was not in a good mood.

The long lost family member of one of his precious guild children has been found. Ordinarily, this should be a cause for celebration. A night of merry drinking and brawls, so much of either that everyone in the guild forgets the entire day when they wake up. However, he cannot do that.

The boy who they had found is not the boy who Mira remembers. Life had been cruel to the boy, and the boy had become cruel in turn. He became a monster, more ruthless than any other, in order to survive in that world of cutthroats and demons. It's not the boy's fault, life dealt him a bad deck and he became what he must to deal with it. It's not exactly his fault, but that doesn't make him innocent.

Makarov hates it, but he has to face the facts and be honest with himself. The boy's a murderer. A vile serial killer who has hundreds of known victims and has a tendency for torture.

Like my son, thought Makarov with an uncontrollable surge of anger. His son wasn't a good person. Makarov would be the first to admit that, but nobody deserved that. He had always held onto the hope that Ivan would one day realize his mistakes and come back to him. That he would change his ways. He had hoped that that was why Ivan called him that night, but the truth was far too cruel.

Even knowing that it's Mira's kid brother, the old guild master isn't certain that he would be able to stop himself from killing the boy on sight. There are some things that not even the kindhearted old man of Fairy Tail can forgive.

Still, Mira has a right to know. Even if the truth causes her nothing but grief, she still has a right to hear it. It is his duty as guild master to tell her and take on her pain. He can't force this on Mystogan or let her find out from the newspaper when the council hears about his identity. There's no doubt that Mystogan has already reported this to the Rune Knights.

* * *

Mirajane Strauss sat on a bench with Elfman, sitting across from them is Makarov.

He had pulled them aside before they could go home after working on the rebuilding of the guildhall. It was late enough that they were the only people left in the area. She knows that this is serious because the only other time she had seen this look on Makarov's face was when Lisanna died.

"Mira, Elfman, how are you two feeling?" Makarov looks awkward, like he's avoiding something.

"I'm Manly as ever! No need to worry about me!" Elfman's lively response does nothing to lift the mood.

"I'm well, but I'm curious," Mira responds with a sly voice. "What are you so nervous to talk about?"

Makarov panics for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh and resigning himself to his fate.

"I need you both to calmly listen to what I have to tell you." He starts and looks both of them in the eye before continuing. "We believe that Mystogan may have found your brother."

"WHAT?! WHERE IS HE?! IS HE OKAY?!..." Elfman immediately starts rattling off questions and shaking Makarov around like a chew toy. It should be incredibly loud, but right now everything is muffled to Mira.

It's like a bomb just went off in her brain. She can't think. She can't focus. She can't move.

Is she even breathing?

Does that matter? Cyrus is alive! Her baby brother is alive!

After so many years without so much as a hint to support that belief, she had all but given up on him. She searched and she searched and she searched, but she never heard so much as a whisper about him.

And now he's been found.

At some point, tears began to stream down her face. She doesn't even need to look at her brother to know that he's crying as well, she can hear it in his voice. She can't remember the last time she's been so happy.

She looks to Makarov and is about to join her brother in interrogating him when she stops herself.

What's with that face?

Makarov looks like he's going to cry. Now that she thinks about it, this is odd. Normally, Makarov would announce something like this in front of the whole guild as an excuse to drink, so why would he wait until we're alone? Also, the serious tone doesn't match. That means…

"Elfman, let him go." Mira puts her hand on Elfman's shoulder.

"What are you talking about Mira? He knows where Cyrus is!" Elfman protests.

"Just do it." She glares her she-devil look at him until he complies. "Now Master, what aren't you telling us."

Makarov looks down at his feet before launching into an explanation of everything that happened on Mystogan's end, from start to finish. He finished with his speech with his own feelings on the matter.

"We may have found White, the member of Grimoire Heart who used to be a member of the Strauss family, but Cyrus is nowhere to be found." Makarov shakes his head. "I'm afraid your younger brother is long gone already."

The two siblings collapsed back into their seats and sat in stunned silence. They wanted to deny it, to say that it was impossible, but the description matched him perfectly. In their hearts, they knew it was their brother. However, that doesn't mean they could accept it. There is no greater despair than that which comes right after regaining lost hope, and that kind of despair isn't easy to accept.

"There's no way!" Elfman lashes out. "Cyrus was the nicest kid I've ever known. There's no way he's some kind of murderous psychopath! Even if he did kill someone, he had to have been forced to with possession magic or something!"

"Possession magic is a possibility that we can't rule out," Makarov admits. "However, nice kids don't survive years of captivity in a dark guild. They can hold out for a little bit, but if they aren't rescued quickly, they are left with two choices. Either they throw away their kindness or they die." Elfman collapses once again after Makarov lays out the cold truth that he hadn't had the heart to tell these children before.

Mira just sat in silence. She wanted to deny it, but she couldn't. She always knew this. It was the reason she focused on targeting slave rings during her search. If he was sold into slavery, there was a chance that he would still be himself when they found him. She knew that if he was being trained as a fighter, her kindhearted little brother wouldn't survive. Not as he was at least.

"I will leave you two with some alone time to sort this out among yourselves, but know that I'm always here for you if you need me." Makarov begins to leave, but stops after a few steps. "And I forbid you from chasing after Grimoire Heart. Their guild is constantly in motion, so tracking them would be near impossible, and even if you do, you wouldn't be able to handle them on your own. They're one of the three biggest dark guilds for a reason." With his warning out of the way, his voice softened and filled with love. "I am sorry children." With that said he walked away.

Mirajane Strauss couldn't help but have a single thought in the middle of her tears.

Is it my fault? Is it because I gave up on you? Is that why you had no choice but to become this, Cyrus?

* * *

I left Hades' office in a sour mood.

Not only did I get reprimanded for being late to my targets, but I didn't even have the time to play with them on the mission. Why did those cowards have to run right into the enemy's hands? As fellow dark mages, why did they have to make things difficult for me by getting captured so easily? I had to perform the operation to acquire that woman's Body Restriction Magic as quickly and efficiently as possible because Mystogan was so close nearby. There wasn't even time to properly vent my frustration.

Of course, I could have killed him, but I don't want to start a guild war between Fairy Tail and Grimoire Heart yet. Fairy Tail, or any light guild for that matter, is not yet strong enough to defeat Grimoire Heart. Even though I don't remember Mystogan being much of a big deal in the story, any form of weakening Fairy Tail or messing with the plot can only hurt me. I will need Fairy Tail, so I can't afford to risk ruining them prematurely, even if it means exposing myself.

So here I am, sulking about getting chewed out by my boss cause my identity is now public. A wanted criminal with an astounding A-class bounty of 700 million jewels. I'd turn myself in for that if they wouldn't kill me.

I have a fourth, blue eye on my sword with Body Restriction Magic that activates on contact, but I have no good memories to go with it. Ah, this seriously sucks. I was hoping to be a free man after the guild war with Fairy Tail, but now that looks impossible. I can maybe still do it if I change my face and build with magic, but for some reason, I can't change my hair color, which is pretty conspicuous.

"Haha, you got in trouble~!" A childish taunt interrupts my sulking.

"What do you want Meredy? I'm not in the mood right now." I walk right past the pink-haired girl.

She's the only one in the guild who doesn't avoid me. Even Hades only sees me when it involves a mission. Everyone else keeps a wide range from me, everyone except Meredy. In fact, I'm the one who avoids her because she always seeks me out and I don't know how to deal with her.

"But I am!" She pops right back in front of me. "It's refreshing to see Mr. Perfect fail for once." she goads.

"I didn't fail my mission. My targets were all eliminated." I give up on escaping and give her a flat look.

"But they gave out the information you were supposed to hide right?"

"...Yes…"

"That's what you call failing, genius." She flicks me in the forehead.

"Shouldn't you be toddling around after that witch right about now?"

"You will treat Miss Ultear with respect!" The pinkette snaps. "And she knows that I would never miss a chance to needle you about your mistakes."

"You're infuriating, you know that?" I glare at her.

"I'm well aware, sir!" She flicks me once again as I stand stone-faced before her.

"Everyone else seems to think I would have killed them if they did that to me." I leak out a bit of bloodlust to send my point.

"Would you?" She asks, unfazed.

"Possibly."

"But not me, right?" She gives a big Cheshire smile and slings her arm around my shoulders. "After all, we're besties~!"

"... I'm leaving." I shrug her off before turning around and walking the other way. I don't care that it means I'll need to take almost a full lap around the airship to reach my room.

"Bye then~!" Meredy dramatically waves her arm. "It was fun, White! I'll see you soon!"

I don't think I'll ever be able to deal with that girl. The sooner the guild war comes, the better.


	9. Chapter 9

Despite living with criminal masterminds and magical geniuses, I sometimes have to wonder if I'm actually surrounded by idiots.

"The council will have to take responsibility for their actions; I doubt they will be able to function normally for a while. Why, they may even be abolished entirely."

"Excellent, Ultear. And what became of Jellal?"

"Who knows. Perhaps he actually died."

Currently, I am eavesdropping. A pair of bat ears are resting on my head. I don't keep these there permanently like the hawk eyes because it can get annoying, but they are incredibly useful for collecting information when I want to.

Yesterday, the council embarrassed themselves by firing Etherion at the R-system. Ultear is currently reporting on the incident to Hades via communication lacrima, but even as they talk, I can't help but think of them as idiots.

"... and as a result, one of the keys to Zeref's seal is finally mine."

"Congratulations, master Hades."

First of all, what seal? Hades, didn't you personally meet Zeref or something like that? Why would you all of a sudden believe he was sealed? Who could even do such a thing? If he had been sealed, don't you think there would be proper references to that in history? After all, if someone was sealed, that means someone had to have done the sealing.

I am aware that I would probably think differently if I didn't have the foreknowledge of my past life, but it just seems like a stupid thing to believe. This leader of a supremely powerful dark guild is wasting all his time and efforts chasing a rumor that doesn't have anything other than hearsay to back it up. Why not focus your efforts first on taking the Lumen Histoire, which you know exists, from Fairy Tail? One swift attack on the guildhall when all the strongest members are out and it would be an easy victory. Can you really blame me for thinking he's a bit slow?

If that wasn't enough, how about this? They just completely abandoned Jellal. After grooming the perfect pawn for years, they just say "Who knows if he's alive or not. Whatever. Who cares?". Like, are you stupid? This is a member of the Ten Wizard Saints, stronger than any of the seven Kin of Purgatory, and we're just going to leave him for Brain to find?

I genuinely don't understand the logic behind that decision. Jellal would be a huge asset to Grimoire Heart, no matter how I look at it. The only thing I can think of to explain it is that Hades is afraid of him. If Hades thinks that he is weaker than Jellal, casting him aside would make sense. However, I don't think an arrogant prick like Hades would be able to objectively look at himself and say that he's weaker than anyone.

Either way, I have no intention of correcting his stupidity. If he wants to make things easier for me, I say let him.

I stand up from the bench, just down the hall from Hades' office, where I had been pretending to take a nap. Hades hasn't had many jobs for me lately as he has been increasingly consumed by his search for these keys. This has given me the chance to gather information and find out where I am in the canon storyline. I hadn't known how long after the Phantom Lord War it would take for the Tower of Heaven arc to begin, but I do know that right after that comes Laxus' rebellion.

Now that I know what's going on, I can act. What I have planned is definitely a gamble, all or nothing. Either it pays off and I save myself a lot of trouble, or it fails miserably and I get myself, and possibly the entirety of Fairy Tail, killed.

I don't want to play with my life like this, but I fundamentally don't believe that I should just blindly follow the original story. My presence here will likely cause changes, no matter how much I try to keep it the same. That means that nothing I know is guaranteed to happen and I would be a fool not to try to act to compensate for that as best I can. I need to make changes to account for my presence, while not derailing the story to the point where things might go badly.

As such, I'm heading to my main source of information. However much I don't want to.

Upon arriving at my destination, I take a moment to prepare myself and strengthen my conviction for what is to come. With a deep breath, I reach out and knock on the door three times. It's too late to escape now.

The door swings open and next thing I know, my body is hurtling through the air. A petite white hand tugged me inside with the force of a Pain's Universal Pull. I'm released and slammed into a chair as the finisher.

"Whitey~! I've been sooo bored~!" And the pouting for pity begins. "With Miss Ultear gone, you're the only one who cares about poor Meredy. Boo-hoo~!"

Ultear has been gone for nearly a month now, and I've suffered greatly for it. Meredy is fundamentally the opposite type of person as I am. She cannot, under any circumstances, handle being alone. Three days after Ultear left, she marched into my room and demanded that I come to play with her every day. When I ignored her, she hunted me down and whined my ear off.

"You see me every day. Must you do this every time?" I drawl, the same words are spoken every day.

"How can you say that to a crying lady?! Don't you have a heart, you beast?" As per usual, she responds with nonsense.

"What crying lady? All I see is a sniveling brat. Same as every day."

"Geez, Whitey~. You really can't be honest with yourself, can you?" She drops the act and grins at me. "You're such a tsundere. After all," She flutters her eyelashes. "You come to see me every day."

I feel a vein popping out on my forehead. "That's because you chase me down if I don't, you shitty brat!"

"Quit calling me a brat. We're the same age, so if I'm a brat, you are too." Meredy whines.

Thus, the conversation goes absolutely nowhere for a while. The torture of having to go through this every single day has had me praying for that witch to return as soon as possible. I return to my room with as much mental fatigue as the 365 days of Brain's test combined. However, I can't help but smile into my pillow as I lie face down.

I got what I needed.

Trying to keep Meredy on track in a conversation is like navigating a labyrinth that is constantly shuffling itself around. It takes forever to get where you want, and when you finally do get there, everything can get derailed in an instant. However, after two hours in hell, I managed to get the information I needed to act out my plan.

I carefully replay the conversation in my head, making sure that I have everything memorized.

* * *

"Anyway, I heard from Hades that Ultear should be coming back sometime soon." I state, trying to turn the conversation to something meaningful.

"Really!" She perks up. "You better not be lying! If you're teasing me, I'll kill you, Whitey."

"I'm serious, but I heard that it depends a bit on the movements of the rest of the seven. Do you know what they're all doing?"

"Ummm~," She puts her pointer fingers on her temples as she thinks. "Zancrow, Kain, and Rusty are all on a mission to collect some type of key from some old village in Minstrel. Apparently, they won't be back for a while still."

Good, getting them out of the way was something that I was concerned about. This works out perfectly.

"What about Caprico?" That slimy rat could potentially screw up my entire plan. He has a knack for finding information after all.

"I heard he's out doing his own thing. Something about taking a personal trip." Meredy shrugs. "Nevermind that, tell me what they all have to do with Miss Ultear coming back!"

"I will, I will, I promise. Just one more thing," I finally get to what I want to know. "What's Azuma doing?"

"Huh? He's still here you know." Meredy states, confused about why I would ask something so obvious.

"I know, I was asking if he's going to be doing something soon. I overheard Hades say that he needs one of the seven to take a mission soon. If he gives it to you or Ultear instead of Azuma, you won't reunite with her for a while." I try to incite Meredy to give out a bit more information.

"Well, Master Hades said We're not supposed to tell you about our missions before they're already in motion, but since you're so worried about Miss Ultear, I guess I can tell you." Thankfully, Meredy is incredibly easy about anything involving Ultear. "Azuma was given a mission to attack a traveling merchant. I guess that merchant will be transporting one of those keys Hades wants so badly. So, that means Miss Ultear will be coming back soon, right?"

"Yep, good for you!" I smile at her, just one more push. "How's Azuma supposed to find that merchant anyway?"

"Well, I didn't pay much attention since it isn't my job, but I heard that on October 21st he will be stopping for supplies at some town called Oakridge."

I freeze up for a second at the name of my hometown but quickly shake it off. That place has nothing to do with me now. I have everything I need now, that's all that matters.

"Looks like Master Hades really planned this out."

Our conversation fell back into nonsensical banter after that, but I was satisfied. I am now certain that I can carry out my plan. Whether or not I get found out is another thing, but the first phase should be doable at the very least.

* * *

An unfamiliar woman with a striking hourglass figure walks the streets of magnolia.

She's wearing an erotic green outfit that looks like a match for an Egyptian belly dancer, exposing much of her ample chest. Her head is covered with a veil that stops just past her eyes, leaving her luscious red lips exposed. Her hair is covered by the veil, but a few white strands peek out. In her right hand is a long staff wrapped tightly in gauze, and in her left is a caramel apple.

Today, Magnolia is having a festival, and as such, the town is more crowded than usual. The mysterious woman struts barefoot down the middle of the crowded street, the people step aside and make a path for her approach. Her allure is such that both men and women stop in their tracks to stare when she passes. They can't help but wonder if she will be in the Miss Fairy Tail contest. Despite only seeing half of her face, they are already convinced that she would get their votes.

She continues until she is just opposite the Fairy Tail Guildhall, where she finds an outdoor cafe and sits down. She remains seated there, swirling her beverage, all the way through the Miss Fairy Tail Contest, much to the disappointment of many. She seems unconcerned with the goings-on of the festival around her, even as her admirers swarm around the cafe. She doesn't order anything more than refills for her beverage, but the cafe owner isn't bothered. She has already brought in more customers than he had gotten all week.

Even when the rowdy Fairy Tail mages begin to brawl on the streets and the civilians flee for the sake of keeping their bones intact, she remains unperturbed and unmoving.

"Um, Miss? You should probably get to a safer place. They don't mean any harm, but the mages here can be a bit destructive." The cafe owner works up the courage to warn the aloof beauty.

"Thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine where I am." Her voice is sensual and enchanting. For a moment the cafe owner is caught in a daze and wonders if the woman used some type of charm magic.

The cafe owner only regains the ability to move when the mage called Jet's unconscious body flies in his direction. Even as he retreats back inside, he notes that the woman still hasn't moved.

The exotic woman remains still through the various battles in town, through the thunder palace in the sky and its destruction. Not even the lighting strikes from the Kardia Cathedral are enough to rouse her interest. She remained in her seat the entire time, forcing the poor cafe owner to bring her refills at her call. She only looked up in interest when the Fairy Tail mages began to drag themselves back into the guildhall. She looked especially shaken when the Strauss siblings limped back inside Fairy Tail's doors.

At some point during the night, when the cafe owner was readying himself for the Fantasia Parade, he noticed that her seat was empty.

* * *

Laxus Dreyar was filled with regret.

How could he not have seen what Fairy Tail truly meant to him, what it truly stood for?

If he had gotten his way, they would have been no better than a dark guild. No bonds, no loyalty, no love. It wouldn't be the family that he had grown up as a part of. He sees that clearly now. Rather, that was beaten into him.

No amount of regrets or apologies could make up for what he did though. He forced his grandpa to excommunicate him from the guild. He forced his grandpa to kick out his family again. He doesn't deserve any sympathy or forgiveness.

He doesn't deserve it, but his family still gave it to him. Is it okay for him to still think of them as his family?

Laxus had stayed to watch the Fantasia Parade, mostly on a whim. He wanted to see the real Fairy Tail one last time before he left. He watched the parade and received their message loud and clear.

"I may not be able to see you, there may be hundreds of miles between us but I'll always be looking your way. I'll be watching over you forever, I promise."

It was far more than Laxus deserved. What did he ever give to his grandpa? His grandpa gave everything to him, even when he deserved nothing, but did he ever give anything back other than spite?

The tears wouldn't stop as Laxus walked out of Magnolia's gates, one hand holding his bag and the other covering his face.

"Laxus Dreyar, do you wish to protect Fairy Tail?" An alluring voice brushes his ears from the side.

Laxus wipes his tears away and turns to the source of the voice. A woman is leaning against the gate. She is wearing an exotic outfit that shows off her curves to the fullest. A veil covers her head, but Laxus can make out a hint out green and... red? Through the fabric.

"Who are you?" He growls out. No matter how he looks at it, she's suspicious. If she's planning to threaten Fairy Tail, he will get rid of her right here.

"Save the intimidation for times when you don't have fresh tears in your eyes. Who I am isn't important," She purrs. "What's important is what I know, and what you need to know."

"Hmph, spare me your riddles. If you think you can get away with threatening Fairy Tail to my face, you're a fool. So, tell me. What is it that I need to know?"

"I threaten nobody, I've merely come to inform you of somebody who does have designs upon your lovely little guild." The woman grabs her staff and turns her back to him. "I've found out that a member of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory, Azuma, has plans to attack Fairy Tail. Before he gets the chance to act and kill someone precious to you, I think it would be in your best interest to kill him first."

"...If what you say is true," Laxus starts after a long pause. "How do I even find him?"

"6 days from now, on October 21st, Azuma will attack a merchant caravan in Oakridge Town." The woman states with her back still turned to him. The gauze from her staff has fallen to the ground, but her body is blocking the staff so Laxus can't see it. "That will be your one and only chance to protect your family."

"And why should I believe you?" Laxus questions, hoping to gain more information.

"Because you have no other choice." She calmly answers. "If I'm lying and you act, you lose nothing. If I'm telling the truth and you don't act, you could lose everything."

Before Laxus can question her further, she disappears with a faint purple light and he is left alone. His mind is racing, she didn't seem trustworthy, but can he afford to ignore her?

Her scent also gave him reason to doubt her words. She had the scent of multiple different people, maybe five, but the main scent was oddly familiar. On top of that was a faint smell of blood, not from anything recent, but engrained on her person. As if bloodshed makes up a part of who she is.

Laxus walked out into the night with a lot on his mind.

* * *

I got carried away.

I buried my face in my hands as I huddled in the woods near magnolia. God that was embarrassing. What in the world made me think this was a good idea?

I stand up and pull off my veil. Slowly, starting with my face, my body begins to morph back to my original shape. My lips deflate a bit and my facial structure becomes more masculine. Next, my shoulders broaden and my chest sinks in and reforms into pecs. My waistline grows out and my musculature returns, followed by my hips, posterior, and thighs all shrinking down a bit. I was too scared to mess with my jiggly bits, so they remained throughout. Finally, I change back into my usual attire.

What a terrifying power I have!

I fully admit to going overboard with this. I had the idea of disguising myself as a woman after Grimoire Heart falls and decided to test it out here. Before I knew it, I started having fun with it and ended up making myself into something crazy. I even went out shopping for that ridiculous outfit.

I thought it would be fun to mess with people, and at first, it was. Then, I began to realize that I was practically naked in the middle of a town. Even if I had altered my appearance and covered my face, it was still me. I froze up and just sat at a cafe all day, burying my embarrassment in iced coffee after iced coffee. At least, it looks like my sense of shame has returned since my days in training.

I originally wanted to enjoy my time in town to the fullest, maybe even go see Mira or Elfman. It's probably for the best that that didn't last for more than a passing glimpse, but it's still regrettable. Hopefully, at least Laxus will take my message seriously. Otherwise, this was all for nothing. I don't think anyone knows about my trip, so if he does act on it, it shouldn't get traced back to me.

All I know is that once I return to my room on the airship, this outfit is being sealed away. Hopefully, the time will never come when I need to use such a powerful weapon ever again. With great power comes great responsibility.

Truly, such a fearsome ability.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Not sure WTF happened when I was writing this...  
> Has something awakened in me?  
> ... Nevermind, I don't want to know.  
> Alright, enough messing around. This chapter was just me having a bit of fun before getting into the real meat of the story.
> 
> Side note:  
> White is straight. You can't tell me that, if you could freely change your body, you wouldn't change into a hot member of the opposite gender at least once. Regardless of your sexual orientation, it would happen and I don't believe you if you say otherwise.


	10. Chapter 10

October 21st, x784.

Laxus Dreyar was waiting near a caravan of merchants, just outside of a small village. He didn't fully trust the woman he met at Magnolia, but she was right. He can't afford not to check if she was telling the truth.

There was only one group of merchants in the town that she had told him about, and he had been following them all day now. The moon was beginning to come out and the merchants were camping on the outskirts, but Laxus still hadn't seen any indication that they would be attacked.

Just when he began to think he had wasted his time, something peculiar caught his eye.

A man's face just emerged from the trunk of a tree across the road. He was a tan man with a beard and hair that flared out in all directions. When his entire body emerged from the tree, he was massive, towering over Laxus. He perfectly matches the council's description of one of the high ranking members of Grimoire Heart, Azuma. It appears that the woman from before was telling the truth.

Azuma had only taken three steps towards the caravan's camp which held his target when pain engulfed his body. Lightning had struck. A blonde man appeared before him, tossing aside a heavy black coat. Azuma recognized him as Fairy Tail's recently excommunicated S-class mage, Laxus Dreyar.

This would be a difficult obstacle in what should have been an easy mission, but Azuma welcomed it. Laxus Dreyar was strong. That was something that every dark mage knew. He hunted down dark guilds with a vengeance, completely destroying them with no mercy. The only person who had taken down more dark guilds than Laxus would be the kid from Azuma's own guild, White. Regardless, Laxus was strong and Azuma wanted to fight him.

"Azuma of Grimoire Heart, what are you doing here?" Laxus questioned the big man.

"Does it matter?" Azuma retorts. "Now that you are here, we will fight. That's all there is to it." He raises his arm to Laxus. "Bleve"

An explosion bursts out in front of him. Laxus dodges it, but the caravan camp has been completely engulfed. Laxus doesn't have time to regret their deaths as another string of explosions follows his path in a straight line. He can already tell this will be a difficult fight. Perhaps the most difficult of his entire life, but a fight that he can't afford to lose.

That night, the citizens of Oakridge town cowered in their homes as explosions and thunder strikes repeated over and over again outside. They gradually moved further and further away, but they did not cease until an entire hour had passed.

Two voices could be heard in the distance.

"Lighting Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Roaring Thunder!"

"It's over! Terra Clamare!"

A view from above would show a massive explosion blast of fire encompassing the already ruined landscape. A single spot of lighting sparked at the blast's origin, but it too, was engulfed in flames.

When the flames died down, two bodies were strewn about on the ground: One had been charred to a crisp and thoroughly dismembered, the man was unquestionably dead, the other had also sustained severe burns and had his right arm entirely blown away, his status was unclear.

* * *

October 22nd, x784. I have been called to Hades' office.

Yesterday was the day that Azuma was supposed to steal the key, so that is likely what this is about. Whether Laxus succeeded or not, I don't know. I will find out soon enough.

When I enter the room, Hades says nothing. He simply stares at me from his seat with an unreadable expression.

"Master Hades," I bow after closing the door behind me. "I am here to answer your summons."

Hades responds with continued silent scrutiny, only motioning to the chair across from him. If I hadn't closed all my sweat glands before entering here, I would probably be sweating buckets from the pressure he is giving off.

"Master," I sit down and force my voice and actions to be as composed as always. "Do you have an assignment for me?"

"White," When he finally breaks the silence, it is with a grave voice. He is not in a good mood. "Are you aware of what Azuma is doing?"

"Yes, yesterday I'd heard from Meredy that he was out somewhere, retrieving a key." I answer with truths and lies mixed together. "I presume that it is most likely one of those Keys of Zeref that you have been seeking."

"I see, so you found out yesterday." There was a long pause where we both stared at each other before he continued. "Azuma is dead."

"Oh, that's surprising." My voice is even and uninterested. "Who killed him?"

"... Surprising indeed. He was killed by Laxus Dreyar, formerly of Fairy Tail. Ambushed when he attacked the caravan. Laxus was found at the site severely wounded and missing an arm, but still alive, if only barely."

"Are you sure Azuma didn't see Laxus there and decide to attack him? I wouldn't put it past him to prioritize a good fight over his mission."

"That is a possibility. However," The pressure coming from the old dark guild master suddenly multiplies in force. "White, are you aware of my reason for calling you here yet?"

"..." For a moment my voice catches in my throat. I still can't see myself winning against this old man if it comes down to a fight. "I am unsure. I do not believe that you would single me out just to tell me that Azuma died. Do you want me to kill Laxus Dreyar?"

"So, you truly don't know?" The pressure stabs at my mind, threatening to break my composure and force me to slip up.

"That is correct, I am unsure why you've called me here."

"I see." The pressure vanishes and the hard look on his face fades away. "You've always been a bit dense, White. I am planning to make an announcement to the guild later today, and I wanted you to hear it first. Azuma's position as a member of the Seven Kin of Purgatory will be passed on to you. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Master." I don't let my relief show on my face. "Should I take over his mission to retrieve the key then?"

"No, I've already sent Caprico to collect it. Another matter has recently developed that I want you to be free for. You are dismissed now."

"Understood." I get up and leave the room. A voice from behind stops me at the doorway.

"Still," Hades called out. "It's truly unfortunate about Azuma. Don't you think, White?"

"Yes, unfortunate indeed." I walk out into the hall and close the door behind me.

I don't stop walking until I'm locked in my room and collapsed on my bed. All the stress and tension from that encounter released into the embrace of my pillow. For a moment there, I had thought that the old fox would kill me, but…

I did it!

The first phase of my plan went perfectly. Azuma is dead, I took his place, and my involvement didn't get found out. Hades appears to be suspicious of me, but either he isn't certain, or he doesn't care. Either way, I got everything I wanted.

The fruits of this plan won't appear for a while, not until phase two starts, but the groundwork has been laid. Phase two should be much easier to accomplish. Now, all I need to do is follow orders and act as the perfect little soldier until it's ready.

* * *

A week later, I was called to Hades' office once again.

"White, I have your first assignment as a member of the Kin." Hades states after I've entered and given my respects. "Though, it is much the same as what you are used to."

"An execution then?" I ask.

"Yes, though this time will be a direct race against the light guilds. You will be at much greater risk than usual." Hades warns.

"Understood. Who is the target?"

"I think you will enjoy this one." Hades smiles at me. "The target is a man you know well. Brain of the Oracion Seis."

"... Are we betraying the Balam Alliance?" If it is a race against light guilds, then this is most likely about that thing from the story. I don't remember it well, but I think it's where Wendy joined the guild. I didn't expect us to get involved with the Oracion Seis arc of the story. Is this another change brought on by my presence?

"No, Brain has a lot of very sensitive information that would severely hamper our movements if the council found out," Hades replies. "Your mission is the same as always, eliminate the leak before it can spread."

"Is the Oracion Seis not an important member of the alliance? If we know that they are being cornered by the light guilds, why not help them?" I inquire. "It shouldn't be too difficult to ambush a group that only expects to face one dark guild."

"Why should we expose ourselves for his sake? If he got himself found out, that means that that is all he is worth." Hades sneers. "Besides, the reason he has been found out is that he has been looking for something. Something I do not wish for him to have."

"Looking for something?" I feel like there was something like that in the arc, but I can't remember.

"It's called Nirvana, a magic tool which reverses the darkness and light in people's souls." That sounds familiar, I think in the story he found and activated it too.

"What do you mean? That description is too obscure." I admit my confusion.

"It's a type of mind control magic, just far more permanent and far more terrible," he explains. "It can take someone who is feeling some type of powerful emotion, negative or positive, and make that part of their personality. If used correctly, it could destroy the council and all the light guilds from within."

"In that case, will we take it for ourselves?" This could be a problem, I can't afford for Grimoire Heart to get too strong before the war. If I don't think Fairy Tail can beat them anymore, I would have no choice but to abandon my plan and stick with Grimoire Heart.

"No, I want nothing to do with the thing." Oh, nevermind. "It is a faulty magic tool, filled with problems. A weapon like that would most likely bring us more harm than benefit. I do not wish for an object that can permanently alter my mind to come anywhere near me."

"Understood. Then, what exactly is my mission?"

"You will wait until Brain discovers Nirvana, at that point, your mission will consist of two parts: the execution of Brain before the Council can take him, and ensuring the destruction of Nirvana. Other than that, allow the light guilds and the Oracion Seis to fight amongst themselves. Hopefully, they can rid us of a few of our enemies." Hades announces my mission as if it were something simple, but this will be nearly impossible to do discreetly with the light guilds being there.

"Do you not wish for me to eliminate the other members of the Oracion Seis as well?"

"That will be up to you." Hades surprises me by being so lenient. "This mission will be very difficult with light guild mages and council members all over the area, there may be little chance to kill Brain if you are focused on the others and keeping them out of enemy hands. Fortunately, Brain is a paranoid man and has told his subordinates almost nothing about the Alliance, so they do not have much information to give. If you want to kill them or take their magic, feel free, but make sure you prioritize the mission."

"Understood. It will be done." I am relieved. I don't remember much, but I seem to remember the five of them coming back as allies to Fairy Tail later on. I don't know if killing them would cause any problems in the future, but it would be best not to.

"I shall inform you when it is time to act, be prepared to act at all times. Dismissed."

"I will remain vigilant, Master Hades." I bow and leave the room.

I think about everything that I can remember from the Oracion Seis arc on my way to my room. It's not a lot. Several guilds joined with Fairy Tail to attack them. Jellal was there for some reason. Brain became Zero and successfully activated Nirvana. Natsu defeated Brain and somehow, Nirvana was stopped. After that, Wendy joined Fairy Tail. That's all I remember.

Once inside my room, I channel my magic and the skin on my arm begins to writhe, like some type of worm was crawling beneath from my shoulder to my hand. A rolled-up slip of paper is pushed out of my palm, entirely dry.

This is an application of my magic that I started using a year after arriving here, but nobody else is aware of it. I can keep certain objects within my body, as long as they are small and flexible enough not to interfere with my movements.

I unroll the paper and begin to read my writing from 6 years ago. I didn't have the luxury of writing all my memories of the story down until after so long had passed that I'd forgotten most of it, but this is better than nothing.

Reading the Oracion Seis part, I see much of the same things from above, but there is a bit more. It seems that Jellal will be there but having lost all his memories. I have written about the magic of all five members other than Brain and the names of some of the light mages who will participate: Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Jura Neekis, Lyon (Gray's rival or something it says) and Ichiya. It also says that Nirvana will be destroyed by them, so it looks like I won't need to personally act for that. Finally, it says something about a ghost town. Not sure what that means, so I'll have to be cautious.

It looks like neither Mirajane nor Elfman will be involved in this mission, so that's a good thing. Other than that, there will be two wizard saints there for me to look out for. I would rather avoid having to fight against either one of them, especially not after fighting Brain, but certainly not before either. Although, hopefully, I won't need to actually fight Brain. Just kill him.

I scan further down the paper, looking for any more mention of the Oracion Seis, but all I find is a single line.

_Oracion Seis, minus Brain, joins Jellal in Crime Sorciere after escaping prison. I think._

Not very convincing, but one of the last lines does manage to convince me to leave them alone.

_All the dragon slayers come together with the power of BS to defeat Acnologia._

I don't know if I can rely on the power of BS, but it would be a very bad idea to get rid of one of them before that happens. Either way, while Racer and Midnight do have magic that interests me, I already have a target in mind for my fifth and final magic. I will leave the five of them alone, even if there is a chance to kill them.

Regardless, this could become my first direct encounter with the main characters of Fairy Tail. It could become my first fight with them as well.

* * *

On November 2nd, I am standing just south of the Warth Woodlands, hidden a short distance away from a manor owned by the Blue Pegasus guild master, Bob.

I've watched as the mages filed in one after the other, starting with Angel of the Oracion Seis, so I am aware that this meeting will likely not end well for the light guilds. There are 4 mages from Blue Pegasus: Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki, Eve Tearm, Hibiki Lates, and Ren Akatsuki, as well as that large airship. Fairy Tail has also brought 4 mages, they are those that had been indicated in my notes: Erza Scarlet, Lucy Heartfilia, Gray Fullbuster, and Natsu Dragneel. Representing Lamia Scale is Wizard Saint Jura Neekis, Lyon Vastia, and Sherry Blendy. Finally, Cait Shelter has only sent Wendy Marvel, who is younger than even me by a year.

I've already enhanced all of my senses, so I have no trouble eavesdropping on their plans and tracking each of them. Eyes of the Hawk. Ears of the Bat. Nose of the hound. Other than the ears, there are no physical changes brought by the rest of the modifications, only enhanced senses. All together, it gives me a superhuman level of perception that allows me to pick up on anything around me without missing a single detail.

That is how I've come to know everything that the light guilds have done since arriving. They've acted like fools and are setting themselves up for failure. Fighting and flirting amongst themselves, do they think this is a game? Am I truly supposed to believe that these irresponsible halfwits are going to take down the Oracion Seis with no significant losses?

The Oracion Seis may be the weakest of the 3 dark guilds at the center of the Balam Alliance, but they are by no means pushovers. As if to prove my point, I sense Ichiya of Blue Pegasus getting taken down and replaced by Angel.

Angel is now fully aware of the light guilds' plans and preparations and has successfully manipulated the amount of information given to them. Not that she needed to, seeing how the impulsive mages just ran out of the building for a direct confrontation with the Oracion Seis.

I genuinely can't believe that these are supposed to be among the best and most renowned light mages in Fiore. They're complete fools. If I were their opponent, I could probably kill them all without much effort needed. After all, nobody ever said that their opponents need to fight them upfront and directly. Even their wizard saint is so naive that he has just been stabbed by Angel's celestial spirit, Gemini.

When Angel leaves, I head to the side of Jura Neekis. I can't teleport because I am covering myself in a layer of Silence Magic to avoid Cobra. I can only use one of the eyes at a time. He is fading out of consciousness, so he hasn't noticed me. After inspecting him, I realize that it was not a fatal wound. Stopping the bleeding should work fine.

I can hear Ichiya crawling over here, so I leave in the direction the mages fled to catch up and watch the confrontation. On my way there, I think over a theory I've had about this world for a while now. One that would explain a lot of the things that I always found hard to fathom. Hopefully, this upcoming confrontation will help me confirm it.

I watched as the Blue Pegasus airship fell from the sky, and can hear the Oracion Seis members saying a lot of really lame things. What was the word for that again? Chuunibyou?

Either way, now that everyone's eyes are away from the sky, I grow out a fleshy pair of wings from my neck and rocket straight up. Acceleration to the point that I would only look like a blur if anyone was watching. I only stop when I'm at a height where I would barely look like a speck in the sky.

My hawkeyes zero in on the fight just in time to see Natsu and Grey get taken down by Racer. Which looked really weird considering Racer was moving rather slowly from my perspective. They just didn't react.

The light mages proceed to get completely thrashed until Brain sees Wendy. He calls her the "Miko of the Sky", takes her, then leaves with a parting shot. What's up with that?

Throughout the entire fight, the Oracion Seis never once aimed for a fatal blow. Cobra poisoned Erza, but that is a slow burner that leaves room for rescue. The final attack was blocked by Jura Neekis who caught up in the nick of time, but it didn't look like a killing blow either. I think that that confirms my theory.

In this world, magic is run on emotions, just as Makarov always said. However, it doesn't need to be love, just any type of strong, passionate emotion will do. You cannot use magic without any emotion involved, and when you do use magic, the emotion that fueled it is boosted and multiplied.

It's why the villains from the story often seemed to go crazier and crazier throughout their fights. If their magic was fueled by their obsession for power for example, as obsession is a sort of emotion, they will grow more and more obsessed as they use more of their magic.

In the same vein, it is also the reason that killing is so rare in the series. While beating someone down and showing off your power over them can trigger passionate emotions, killing is something done most often in cold blood. Even if outwardly a murderer acts passionate and happy while killing someone, on the inside most are feeling cold and empty. Very rare are the few who genuinely take pleasure in killing, those like Zancrow from my guild.

With their emotions being heightened by the use of magic, most people in this world find it difficult to turn them off and deal a fatal blow. I'm not sure if this is true, but it's the theory that I am most inclined to believe. It's the only reason I can think of for why the "bad guys" from this world seem so soft in comparison to my last.

It would also explain why Acnologia and I are among the only ones I know who kill their enemies without any hesitation and without fighting and toying with them first. Neither of use needs to actively use magic to fight. Acnologia relies on his overwhelming physical strength, and I rely on my body and sword skills. Even if I use magic, it is either just something small to modify myself or it is someone else casting it.

That is really the only thing I can think of that explains how these naive and reckless light mages haven't all died yet. The very rules of this world are against killing, and if the bad guys can't kill the good guys, they stand no chance. There are way more people of the good guys' side or at least way more competent people, and they will just keep getting back up and fighting.

With my thoughts in order, I fly in the direction of the Oracion Seis. I can't attack until they've found Nirvana, but I shouldn't let Brain out of my sight for too long until then.

Lost in my thoughts and so assured of my safety was I that I failed to notice a certain dragon slayer, staring up at me from the ground below with an expression of confusion.


	11. Chapter 11

This is quite a disturbing sight. The forest itself is dead. Rotted and turned black from the pollution of Nirvana's magic power. From the sky above, it looks like a stain upon the green earth. A cursed forest.

The Oracion Seis are hiding out in some ruins within the forest. It was by following them there that I discovered the reason for Wendy's capture. They need her healing magic.

Apparently, Jellal does not come here himself, but he is brought here by the Oracion Seis. He was discovered by Brain, stuck in a coma. Brain doesn't know the exact location of Nirvana, but Jellal does. He captured Wendy to heal him and wake him up so that he could lead them to it. I know that this is bound to fail, as Jellal should have lost his memories and therefore should have no idea where Nirvana is, but the Oracion Seis know none of this.

At this moment, Racer has been sent to pick up Jellal and the light mages are all locked in combat with some of the lesser dark guilds under the six. Only Hibiki, Lucy, and Erza remain outside of battle. I'm getting kind of bored just waiting around and watching everyone else have fun. Sadly, this isn't an easy enough mission that would allow me time to play around.

No, I am forced to wait in boredom for a full hour as Racer retrieves Jellal and returns to their base with him. While the light mages defeat the dark guilds and all start heading in the direction of that same base. Well, all of them minus Ichiya.

My boredom is only slightly alleviated at the discovery that Wendy knows Jellal, but I would imagine that she met Mystogan instead. Either way, it would seem that their connection wasn't so simple, because, despite Happy's begging, Wendy still decides to heal Jellal. A few moments after she has begun, Gray and Natsu reach the base.

The start of two separate battles is my last view from the skies before I decide to descend to the forest floor. Gray has blocked Racer and allowed Natsu to pass by, and a short distance away, Jura Neekis has confronted Hoteye. As much as I would like to watch, I believe that Natsu will probably escape via the sky with Happy, so I can't remain up there.

I land just in time to see Jellal blast Natsu with a massive beam of magic, I'm not even sure what spell it was exactly, just that it was powerful. Afterward, he attacks Brain and leaves into the forest. I'm curious about where he is going, but I can't afford to leave Brain. Especially not when he is almost all alone now.

"Cobra!" All of a sudden Brain shouts from the cave. "Can you hear me? Jellal has fled! Go after him! Wherever he is headed, that is where Nirvana lies!"

Brain seems to think that Jellal wants to steal Nirvana, but I'm doubtful. If he has lost his memories, then he would probably just be strolling around aimlessly. Still, Brain is pretty rattled by the thought and just sits down and mumbles nonsense to himself. He continues to do so all the way until a distant explosion signals Racer's defeat.

At that point, everything seems to be put into motion at once. Brain awakens Midnight and tells him to kill the light mage. I can faintly hear Wendy and Natsu meeting back up with Erza to heal her. Nirvana is awakened and a pillar of black light pierces the clouds. Finally, Brain and Midnight leave the cave, heading in different directions.

I follow Brain, who in turn is following the path taken by Jellal to the black pillar of light. Every passing second, he seems to grow more and more impatient.

"I will not let you have it. Jellal, Nirvana belongs to me, nobody else." Brain mutters under his breath as he tracks down Jellal's location.

Brain advances slowly, probably taking in all the information that I am gathering at the same time. Possibly by hijacking their archive user's magic, but his methods are irrelevant, what is happening is of much greater concern to me. Hoteye's personality has been warped by Nirvana, making him value love instead of money. Midnight has begun his hunt, already having taken down two of the Blue Pegasus mages. Finally, the two slave owners have begun to fight.

It may be that Caprico has altered my perspective, but I have no positive feelings regarding celestial mages. Whether they are kind or cruel to their spirits, it doesn't change the fact that they are still their slaves. They cannot refuse their orders, so what's the difference? Nobody is wholly good or wholly evil, there is no way that the spirits and their owner will agree on every decision, regardless of how nice that owner normally is to them. It's a distasteful type of magic that forces obedience. To me, it feels more similar to dark magic than the light. Although, I do realize that it is a bit hypocritical considering how I've gained my magics. At least those that reside in my sword are incapable of forming their own thoughts, they're basically as good as dead, so it's not like they're suffering.

Anyway, once Angel goes down, Brain begins to panic. It's quite funny to watch, actually. Did this man truly believe his guild to be so strong? They are laughably weak when compared to Grimoire Heart and even worse next to Tartaros. Brain hurries his pace towards Nirvana, and I rush to follow. I can't kill him until I learn how to destroy Nirvana. Seriously, what a ridiculous mission.

Just as I lament the hardships that my boss has forced upon me, I hear something in the distance that gives me an opportunity.

"... That's why I unsealed it, so I could completely destroy it." My enhanced hearing picks up on Jellal's voice from the source of Nirvana. "I've already cast self-destruction magic on it. Nirvana will soon disappear on its own."

It would seem that Jellal did still somehow remember where Nirvana was, but that isn't important. What's important is that now I can strike. As long as I can keep Brain away from them, I doubt anyone else has magic as advanced as Jellal's. Without Brain's interference, Nirvana will be destroyed and the more difficult half of my mission will be complete.

My feet and calves warp to allow maximum dashing speed and the muscles in my thighs bulge and ripple. My body lowers itself, almost parallel to the ground and I line myself up with Brain from behind. My hands ready themselves on my sword and I launch at my prey's unguarded back, still covered in a veil of silence.

My blade sinks into the flesh of his neck and emerges from the other side in a clean slice.

Or at least that's what should have happened.

Instead, a burning fist hammers into the side of my face, slamming me through a nearby tree. A roar like that of a dragon follows it and Brain whirls around to face us.

"You!" The idiot points at me. "You've been filling this place with a creepy scent for a while now. Why do you smell like Mira, Elfman, and…" he trails off before picking up steam once again. "And why do you smell like so many other people too?"

Of course. How could I have forgotten about the enhanced sense of smell that dragon slayers have? I was so focused on negating Cobra's hearing that it never even occurred to me. Wait, does that mean that Cobra could smell me the whole time anyway? And what about my meeting with Laxus? Damn it, I can only deal with it at this point.

"Oh, well isn't this a surprise?" Brain enters the conversation. "The dragon and… Hmmm, aren't you Hades' pet? I see, so he sent you to kill me. Is he planning to betray the alliance? No, I suspect that he is merely afraid of the power I will possess once I have obtained Nirvana." Brain chuckles to himself. "Still, I must thank you, Dragon Slayer of the light. I have heard that it isn't often that the Balam Executioner's first strike fails."

"Stay out of this!" Natsu shouts. "I'm asking this guy a question. I'll beat you up later."

I can only put my hand to my face and sigh at the ridiculousness of the situation. I was so focused on Brain that I failed to pay attention to my surroundings. What a stupid mistake. There's no hiding now, so I cancel the Silence Magic so that I can use the others if need be.

"Shouldn't you be the one to stay out of this Natsu Dragneel," I respond coldly, keeping my irritation out of my voice. My mission should have been over by now. "Weren't you going to protect Erza Scarlet from Jellal? Why have you instead protected the leader of the Oracion Seis?"

Just as my voice cuts off, three more members of Fairy Tail arrive. Great, isn't that just what I needed right now?

"Natsu! Quit running off like that!" Gray Fullbuster arrives at his side.

"Who is that?" Lucy Heartfilia looks at me with a guarded expression. "Another one of them?"

"Wahhh!" An oddly proportioned flying blue cat appears from behind Lucy. "That's the leader of the Oracion Seis!"

Well, this just turned to hell now, hasn't it? I choose to ignore the newcomers and instead focus my attention completely on Brain. If anything good can come from this situation it would be that he is too distracted to reach Nirvana.

"Natsu Dragneel," I call out to the Fairy Tail mage who looks conflicted between staying and confronting me and leaving to Erza's side. "You should hurry, Jellal has already met with Erza. Who knows what he has done to her already?"

"..." He grits his teeth, but still doesn't move. "But... ARGH! Nevermind! You stay right here; I'll be back after I kick Jellal's butt! Let's go, Happy!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy grabs Natsu's back and lifts him into the sky, heading in the direction of Nirvana.

"Damn it Natsu! Stop rushing off like that!" Gray shouts at his friend but ultimately stays here along with Lucy, who looks completely drained. "Looks like it's up to us to deal with you two."

"Sorry Gray, but I don't think I'll be able to help you much," Lucy admits. "I don't have much magic power left after fighting Angel."

"So, you're the one who defeated Angel?" Brain asks. "Well, as much as I would like to avenge her, I have things to do now. If you would stop that boy over there, it would be wonderful. He's a member of the terrible dark guild, Grimoire Heart. Stopping such evil mages is your job, is it not." He then turns around and begins to walk away.

"Narukami Flash"

Brain hastily ducks under the scythe of dark energy I sent his way. The attack missed, but he has no choice but to turn back around and face me.

"I should have known that escaping you wouldn't be so easy." He mutters darkly.

"Gray Fullbuster of Fairy Tail, I request a temporary alliance." I circle around so that Brain is between Gray and myself. "My mission here is the same as yours: the eradication of the Oracion Seis and the destruction of Nirvana. I see no reason that we should not work together."

"Well, I do." Gray retorts. "Fairy Tail doesn't work with dark mages."

"Do you see a better solution?" I ask. "As battered as you are, do you really think that you could stop their leader on your own?"

"Silence!" Brain interrupts. "You said that you wish to destroy Nirvana? My Nirvana?" The veins on his neck and face are bulging in his anger. "I cannot allow that to happen. Anyone who dares to try to take Nirvana away from me will pay with their lives." He points his staff at me. "Dark Capriccio"

A beam of green and red destructive magic shoots out at me. I dodge with my enhanced reflexes, but I'm not sure Gray could have done the same had he been targeted. This will be tricky, I can't afford to let him or Lucy die here.

"Ice-Make: Lance" Gray attacks Brain with a spear of ice, but it is easily dodged.

"You would ally with a dark mage?" Brain teases. "Is Fairy Tail such a pitiful guild?"

"I'm not his ally or anything of the sort. We just both happen to have the same opponent." Gray states. "Ice-Make: Floor"

The ground freezes and Brain losses his balance for a moment. I would have too, but I used the claws that had replaced my toes to dig into the ground. I launched myself at Brain at the same time, not allowing a moment of opportunity to go to waste.

Brain reacts in time to bat my sword to the side, but a long gash appears along his side and the sword he hit fades away. The real blade reveals itself to have been following a path six inches below the one he saw.

"White Sword Art: Hidden Blade"

I sheathe my blade and turn back to face him. I would like to press the attack, but the ice is making that difficult.

"Damn it! Dark Capricio Scream" Brain turns and targets Gray this time, hoping to get rid of my support.

"Ice-Make: Shield"

A flower-shaped shield of ice forms in front of Gray, but I can tell that it won't be enough.

"Gray, Dodge!" I shout.

He tries to dive to the side, but it was too late. This spell was far faster than the last and it pierces straight through his shield and into his side, making a fist-sized hole.

"Gray!" Lucy shouts out. She reaches for a key and gets ready to join the battle, but I hurry to stop her.

"Lucy Heartfilia do not fight!" I yell out, still facing Brain. "Hurry and take Gray to Wendy, there's still time. She's just a little way in that direction," I point out to indicate her location. "She is also making her way towards Nirvana."

I can't afford to let the members of Fairy Tail die. If it turns out to be too late for Gray, I can't let Lucy die as well.

"Got it. Thank you." Lucy drags herself up and desperately tries to pick up Gray, but she can only slowly hobble away with him leaning heavily on her shoulder.

"You need to move faster than that if you wish to save him." I attack Brain, again and again, forcing him to stay on the defensive so that he can't target them.

"I know that!" Lucy screams. "I know that, but I don't have any strength left! I can't summon any more spirits to help me." She cries as she drags Gray's limp body away, one step at a time.

Just when I thought that I would need to give up on Gray, Gemini appears out of the air. They transform into Taurus, who they must have touched during their fight, and pick up both Lucy and Gray before running away. I no longer pay any heed to what they say to each other.

Now it's just me and my target. My target who, at some point, lost another two of his sealing tattoos. Maybe Natsu fought Cobra, or maybe Hoteye and Midnight took each other out. I don't know, but either way, this isn't good. I need to finish this quickly, otherwise things might turn ugly.

"Dark Rondo"

"Extend"

"AHH!"

I duck under the wave of black magic and swing my blade, increasing its length mid-swing. I feel a connection and three fingers fall from Brains right hand. He is already covered in cuts and wounds from defending my attacks. I need to finish this while he is still sealed. While he is still weakened.

"Narukami Flash"

I strike while Brain is hunched over in pain. There is no way for him to defend himself.

**BOOM!**

A massive explosion shakes the earth and my strike is thrown off, leaving a deep, but not fatal cut in Brains neck.

"Dark Gravity"

A powerful force holds me down. Every movement takes great effort and my feet sink into the earth. Maniacal laughter comes from the man before me.

"Hahaha! You see Brain, all your planning and scheming. What is it worth in the face of sheer destruction?" When he looks up, his face is devoid of tattoos and his eyes are bloodshot. He requips into a military-style outfit. "Hello, little assassin. I am the master of the Oracion Seis, Zero."

Shit! The pressure this guy gives off is insane. It's much greater than Bluenote and almost approaches Hades' level. He's probably stronger than me. How did Natsu beat a guy like this?

"Are you not going to introduce yourself?" Zero asks, sneering at me. "I do so desperately wish to know the name of the one who injured my body to this extent."

What should I do? This guy might be able to kill me. Should I run? No. If I run, Hades will kill me. I need to find a way to beat him. Hopefully, he will be arrogant and try to play with me.

My muscles ripple under my skin and bulge out as I empower myself to resist the gravity magic. I think of the latest magic that I've gained, Body Restriction Magic. I didn't use it before because it will only hold someone as strong as him for a second, and I need to guarantee that that one second will be enough to kill him. All I need to do is touch him with my sword or my body. That's it.

"Narukami…"

"Dark Capriccio"

Before I can draw my sword, a beam of dark magic, much larger and much faster than before, pierces my right shoulder, blasting my arm off entirely.

"I am already fully aware of your skill with that sword." Zero states. "I have no intention of allowing you to use it."

This is bad. He's way stronger than I remember from the story. My shoulder has literally been evaporated. If that attack had been aimed for my head, would I have survived? I can regenerate my entire body, but I still don't know if I can regenerate my head, and I don't want to find out.

"You're boring me," Zero announces before extending his hand and releasing several spheres of dark energy. "Dark Delete"

I jump to the side and remake my right arm during the motion.

"White Sword Art: Snakebite"

The tip of my sword points towards Zero before extending out at such a rapid speed that even my enhanced vision can only see a blur.

Come on! Just a scratch. All I need is a single scratch.

"Dark Capriccio"

Zero dodges my blade by a hair's breadth and shoots another beam that pierces my stomach.

"Is this all that you've got?" Zero mocks. "For the most feared existence in the Balam Alliance, you're pathetically weak. You know, if I *Cough*" His words are cut short by the blood that rushed to his throat.

Zero's eyes widen and look down at the blade that is piercing his stomach from behind. The tip of my sword had curved around and pierced him from behind, making the shape of a fisherman's hook.

"White Sword Art: Fish Hook"

"How did..." Zero tries to speak, but the fourth eye on my sword opens up and he is frozen in place.

"Narukami Flash"

My left hand had already been reformed into a blade and I used it to cast out a wave of dark energy and lop off his head. I won't wait around and give him the chance to recover. My blade slithers out of his body and back to its regular shape and Zero collapses next to his head.

Now that the fight is over, I can sense several people heading my way. Natsu, along with Erza and Jellal from one direction. Jura, Lyon, Sherry, and Hoteye from another. Finally, the council mages are approaching, but they appear to be heading towards the wreckage of Nirvana. The remainder of the light mages are guarding Wendy as she heals Gray. It looks like he will survive with only a large scar to remind him of his near-death experience.

I need to leave, now. Escape will be difficult if this many mages try to stop me.

The second eye on my sword blinks open and I appear high into the sky above, hoping to see far away for my next teleport. Right when it activates, a force slams into my back continuing to press into me even after I've reappeared far outside the forest.

I use my magic to turn my arms around and push it off of me to gain some space.

"Oof" Comes a familiar voice.

"Ouch" Another, higher voice accompanies it.

Oh no. I slowly turn around to see what exactly tagged along for the ride with me, hoping that my suspicions are wrong.

A Pink-haired, scarf-wearing dragon slayer and an odd alien-looking blue cat thing are lying on the ground before me.

…

What the hell?!


	12. Chapter 12

**Starting with a character sheet for Cyrus. Feel free to skip straight to the story.**

**Name:** _Cyrus Strauss_

**Codename:** _White / The Balam Executioner_

 **Gender:** _Male_

 **Age:** _13_

**Eyes:** _Emerald green, left one has a red mark of Grimoire Heart around the pupil_

**Hair:** _Snow White, usually resting in a messy ponytail that reaches down to the small of his back._

**Skin:** _Very pale white_

**Height:** _5ft 11in / 180 cm_

**Weight:** _~1000 lbs (His ability made his body very dense and heavy)_

**Build:** _V_ _ery defined and chiseled musculature, but not bulky. He has thin stringy muscles because his ability has compacted them over and over again to make them dense and strong. However, he can grow them out when he needs an extra boost._

**Face:** Gained more similarities to Mirajane and Lisanna than Elfman and is m _ore on the pretty boy side than the whatever-Elfman-is side. When he grows older, he would fit in well at Blue Pegasus by his appearance. Tends to turn a tad bit demonic when killing people, but who am I to judge._

 **Clothes:** Purple and Black haori with baggy black pants beneath (Modeled after Upper Moon One from Demon Slayer). Stays barefoot.

**Magic:** _Cellular Manipulation Magic. He can freely manipulate any living cells that he is in physical contact with. It is much more difficult to do this to other people or animals and is even harder to manipulate plants. He uses it to remodel his body to optimal fighting shape and to steal parts of other mages' brains to trap them in his blade and force them to use their magic for him. He can only make them use the most basic applications of their magic, however, as he is not the one casting the spell. To allow greater control would be to allow them free will, and then they wouldn't listen to him. The magics he has stolen are: Silence magic, Teleport magic, Illusion magic, and Body Restriction magic._

**Fighting style:** _Swordsmanship based around the quickdraw using his magic and those that he has stolen as support. Strongly geared towards assassination and quick fights._

**Sword skills:**

_Narukami Flash - Stronger and faster version of Yomazu's Narukami which sends out a dark wave from his blade like a scythe._

_Extend - Extends his blade._

_White Sword Art: Snakebite - Blade extends too rapidly for the eye to follow, piercing whatever is in the direction it is pointed in._

_White Sword Art: Hidden Blade - Uses an illusion to cover the sword, shifting its position by a few inches to throw off the opponent's defense._

_White Sword Art: Fish Hook - Curves tip of sword back before it rapidly returns to its original length, piercing the target from behind. Only usable after Extend or Snakebite._

**Relationships:**

_Romantically involved - None_

_Friendly - Merudy_

_Positively Inclined - Mirajane Strauss, Lisanna Strauss, Elfman Strauss_

_Neutral - Most stong mages in the world._

_Negatively Inclined - Ultear, Weaklings, the Council (of incompetents)_

_Dislike - Rustyrose, Zancrow, Kain Hikaru, Caprico, Hades_

_Hate - Crowley Rouge_

* * *

Natsu Dragneel wasn't going to let him get away.

"Stop! I won't let you leave until you answer me!" He exclaims to the white-haired boy in front of him. He quickly scrambles to his feet and gets ready to jump at any sign that the boy might try to escape again.

Now that nothing else is going on to distract him, he can tell. This boy is definitely related to Mira, Elfman, and her. There are a lot of other scents on him and he reeks of blood and death, but the main scent is undeniably similar to the Strauss family.

After he beat Cobra from the Oracion Seis, Natsu rushed to Erza's side, intent on protecting her from Jellal. Imagine his surprise when he saw them fighting together to defeat Midnight, just in time for Nirvana to self-destruct. Apparently, Jellal was back to being a good guy now, but that isn't what's important right now.

What's important is that after he was sure that Erza was safe, Natsu wanted to rush back to the oddly scented boy from before. He mentioned to Erza that there was a boy who smelled like Mira back in the forest and was about to sprint back in when she stopped him.

"Wait!" Erza had shouted and gripped his arm. "If what you say is true, then it's too dangerous for you to go back alone."

"Why?!" He had screamed and struggled. "He might know something about Lisanna! We never found her. What if she's not dead? Why else would he smell like them if he didn't know her?"

"Lisanna is gone, Natsu." Titania held him in place and looked in his eyes. "Mirajane and Elfman have a younger brother, that's probably who this is."

"If that's true, then why are you stopping me?" Natsu cried. "Wouldn't they be happy to see their family?" He burned up his wrist to make her let go and dashed into the forest with Happy.

"Natsu, wait!" Erza yelled at his back. "He's too dangerous! He isn't a good person!"

At that point, Happy was already in the air carrying Natsu at full speed towards the figure that just appeared.

And now, the young boy before him looked at the dragon slayer with a cold expression. The expression doesn't reach his eyes though, Natsu has seen madness and he can recognize it in those eyes.

"Natsu Dragneel, why have you followed me?" The boy's voice is cold, calculated and guarded.

"What's your name?" Natsu asks, Happy is just watching on from the side.

"Does it matter?" He drawls.

"Yes." Natsu's tone is firm and leaves no room for contention.

"...I'm White."

Natsu doesn't look satisfied with that answer, but continues on anyway.

"Who are you to Mira and Elfman?" He demands. "I won't let you leave until you've answered me."

"You mean Mirajane and Elfman Strauss, the Take-Over mages of Fairy Tail?" The boy turns his head down for a moment before looking back up and answering. "Complete strangers, we have nothing to do with each other. If anything, we would be enemies. I am from a dark guild and they are from the light. That's all."

"Don't lie!" Natsu snaps. "My nose never leads me wrong, and you smell just like them! You're their little brother, right?"

The boy's eyes widen and a look of surprise overcomes his cold features. It was only for a brief moment, but he was definitely shaken. It was like he didn't expect anyone to know about him.

"Well," White slowly starts to talk, as if he were carefully picking each word. "I wonder if that's still true? Regardless, that's not what you chased me down to say, is it? It seems to be a rather pointless thing to worry about at this point."

"Why aren't you with your family?" Natsu asks. "If you're this strong, there shouldn't be anything stopping you from coming to see them. Mira gets really sad a lot, if you came back, she would be happy again."

White is silent. His face is even, but to Natsu, it looks like he's struggling to keep up an act. The kind-hearted dragon slayer can practically feel the guilt radiating from the young boy. After a very long silence, the boy speaks.

"Nobody would be happy to see me." His voice is quiet, but no longer robotic.

"Mira is your big sister, isn't she? There's no way she wouldn't be happy to see you again. And Elfman would definitely be excited about it." Natsu encourages. "Why don't you just try?"

The boy doesn't speak, instead, he reaches for his sword and Natsu can see the same purple light as before beginning to glow. He dives at White to prevent him from running away, but a sharp pain fills his chest.

"Natsu!" Happy cries out in concern.

Blood pours from a long diagonal cut from the bottom of his rib cage on his right side, all the way to his left shoulder. The boy looks shocked at what he did. When he saw the dragon slayer charging at him, his body reflexively countered. If the wound was any deeper, it could be fatal.

Even so, Natsu had stopped him from teleporting away and still stands before him. Even as pain causes tremors throughout his body, Natsu Dragneel stoically stares at the boy before him.

"Why did Erza say that you are a bad person?" He asks with his teeth gritted. "Is that why you're scared to come back with me?"

White still looks panicked, his robotic disposition from earlier nowhere to be found.

"I… I…" After failing to form his words, he looks up to the clouds and takes a deep breath. "I don't have the luxury of being the good guy. Not everyone can live a fairy tale life like you guys."

"Sure you can!" Natsu smiles. "You just have to want to change. As long as you want to be good, there's nothing that can stop you from it."

Before Natsu can get a reply or say anything else, the boy disappears in a blur and a heavy impact hits his neck. Then, everything goes black.

* * *

I rest my sword over my shoulder after knocking out Natsu and Happy with the dull edge.

What am I doing?

Why let a naive idiot like that get under your skin? You've already decided what you are going to do, haven't you? You know what you are, what you've become. There's no going back from that and you've made your peace with that a long time ago. What's the point in getting emotional about it now?

I crouch down and put my hand on Natsu's chest, watching as the flesh sews itself back together. I don't care enough to get rid of the scar afterward though, as long as he doesn't die, it's fine. I'll admit that I got a little nervous when I attacked Natsu. If he died, that would be really bad. I could kiss my future goodbye if that happened.

The purple, second eye on the blade opens up and I take one last look over at the unconscious protagonist of this world before disappearing into the sky and heading off in the direction of the airship. During my trip, I can't help but look down at the prisoners trapped in my sword and think about what they represent. What they say about me.

My mind is occupied with this thought until the base of Grimoire Heart, until my home, is in sight.

"Well," I mutter to myself. "No point in thinking about it now. What's done is done. Everything I've done has been to stay alive. This is no different. If I didn't do all this, I wouldn't even be here to think about this."

A voice in the back of my head curses me as a liar and a hypocrite, but that voice is ignored when I step through the doors of the airship. In its place, irritation fills my mind and my emotions become a mess. I can't stop thinking about what exactly went wrong with my life and wondering if it was somehow my fault. That nagging feeling won't leave me alone and prevents me from putting my usual mask of indifference back on.

When I march through the halls, the weak mob mages on the airship bow and stand aside as usual. The longer I walk the angrier I get. I keep thinking back on the guilt and regret that has filled me ever since my conversation with Natsu Dragneel, the poster boy for everything good and righteous.

What right does he have to make me feel this way? To act like he's better than me? What does he know about me? About what I've been through? He would never have survived the things that I survived! Even if he did, would he be able to keep going? Without grabbing every opportunity that came my way, without willingly throwing away my own humanity, would I not be the same as all these pathetic grunts around me? Is that what he wants of me? There's no way this is my fault! It's this world's fault, I'm only doing what I must to adapt to this shitty world!

All of the weaklings shake in their boots and avert their eyes every time I'm nearby. They aren't willing to do whatever it takes to rise up, and would rather entrust their survival to the whims of those stronger than them.

Without warning, I draw my blade and behead the nearest dark mage to me, a middle-aged man whose bow was just slightly less deep than those around him. The trembling of the others increases by multitudes and they drop to their knees, bowing until their heads touch the ground. Not one of them speaks out against my actions, however.

Even if I decide to kill them, for whatever reason, nobody will say a damn thing! Are you saying that I should have been okay with that?! With such a pitiful existence?

No, I don't regret a thing! I won't tolerate the idea of putting my life entirely in the hands of others. No matter what I have to do, no matter how depraved my actions must become, I will control my own fate. I refuse to be a weakling who can only beg for my life.

Nobody will hold that much power over me. Not Crowley. Not Brain. Not the council. Not Hades. Not Zeref. Not even Acnologia. I will stoop to whatever lows I need to if it means that I can ensure that nobody else gets to decide when I die.

What are you getting so worked up for? You have nothing to regret, you've already committed to this, haven't you? This is just how things are, so try to get some enjoyment out of it. That's what you decided a long time ago, isn't it?

I take several deep breaths in front of Hades' door to calm my temper before entering to give him my report. I haven't lost it like that in a long time. So close to my plan, it would be bad to lose my composure in front of Hades.

One more deep inhale and exhale later, and I walk through the door.

* * *

Meredy was concerned.

She had heard about White's mission to kill Brain and she was worried that her best friend might run into trouble. She knows that White is strong, but this mission would put him right in the middle of a guild war in which all the competitors are competent mages. Not only that, but she knows about Zero and how terrifying of an existence he is. She's worried that White might not be strong enough to handle him.

That is why she was waiting near the back entrance of Grimoire Heart's airship. White always uses the back entrance so he can take the long route to Master Hades' office before reporting. She had been there for hours, pacing back and forth. Even when Miss Ultear came to see her, she still opted to continue waiting.

When the door finally opened, she was filled with inexplicable joy and prepared to pounce. Only, she stopped in her tracks when she saw the expression on her best friend's face.

It was an expression she had never seen on his face before. She had obviously seen his usual blank face, the one that he shows everyone, but she had only seen two others besides that (something that she prides herself on is being the only person to see him so expressive). She had seen restrained annoyance and, once in a blue moon, a faint but unmistakably fond smile.

That was why she was so rattled at the moment.

Right now, White's face was a complicated mess of emotion. His composure was nowhere to be found. Guilt, regret, sorrow, pain, doubt: a whole slew of emotions ran through his face, one by one. It was as if a dam had suddenly burst and everything that it was holding back flowed forth in one massive wave. His face finally settled at barely restrained anger as he walked down the hall, still lost in his own head.

What exactly happened on this mission? What could have shaken someone like him so badly? He's so lost that he hasn't even noticed that Meredy has been following him from behind ever since he returned.

She watches as his rage bubbles and grows during his walk, growing until his mask is once again gone and a deep scowl rests on his face. The low-rank grunts are usually afraid of him, but right now they're terrified, rushing to clear his path and bowing more deeply than ever. She watches as his scowl deepens and his brow furrows at the sight. He glares at them from the corner of his eyes and Meredy can practically feel the hatred and disgust rising within him.

It finally comes to a head when one of the grunts loses his own. She couldn't even follow his movements when White killed him. Draw. Strike. Sheathe. It was all done in one smooth motion, without even breaking his pace. She couldn't even tell why he did it or what made that man different from the rest. Quite frankly, her best friend was terrifying right now.

Meredy knows about how everyone thinks of White, of course. How could she not? They think he's a monster, a beast that Master Hades just barely manages to keep on a leash. They say that he's a complete psychopath, worse than even Zancrow. That looking at him wrong could get you and everyone with you killed.

They say this, but, before now, Meredy had never seen anything that supported it. The White that she has always known has been her only real friend in life. He will listen and make time for her whenever she wants to be selfish. He never rejects or pushes her away when Miss Ultear is gone and she's feeling lonely. To her, White is a kind and patient person who hides it behind a mask of apathy.

This isn't the White she knows.

This looks more like the White that Miss Ultear always warns her to stay away from. The White that everyone in the guild fears and avoids. The White who Miss Ultear described as a wild beast that tried to murder Zancrow in a spar. Meredy hadn't seen the spar, and she had always believed that it was probably Zancrow's own fault, but now she isn't sure.

The look on the face of the boy who was her best friend is one of pure hatred. Hatred at the people around him. Hatred at the world. Hatred at his life. Most of all, hatred at himself.

The boy walking away from her looks completely unfamiliar right now.

Still, she hastily follows after him, stepping around the pools of blood on the floor. Before she rounds the corner, she takes one last look behind her. Some of the grunts are cleaning up the body and blood, but most are still frozen in place. All of them are either panting heavily or crying with stifled voices. They all know that it could have just as easily been them on the ground.

As they grow nearer to Master Hades' office, White slowly begins to cool down. His breathing becomes less rigid and the tension in his face starts to loosen. Meredy desperately wishes to know what is going through his head right now, but he gives away nothing. When he arrives in front of his destination, he takes one final deep breath and his mask is back on.

Nothing in his demeanor, nor his expression, gives away the intense outburst of emotion he just went through. To be honest, it's a little bit scary. Meredy can't help but wonder how much he has been hiding beneath that mask. Just how many times did he have to put up that facade outside of her own door? Were the glimpses of emotion she had seen from him in the past even real? Or were they just different masks?

She sunk down against the wall and sat on the floor after he closed the door behind him. She didn't know if she should laugh at herself for rejecting what everyone said about him or cry because it was true. This is a dark guild, it shouldn't be a surprise that he is like that. It should be obvious that someone whose job is to kill people isn't a good person. It should be obvious, so why does she feel like this?

Her knees tuck into her chest and her head falls on her arms. Why did it hurt so much to see him like that? Was it because it made their time together feel like a lie? Or was it something else?

"Meredy."

Meredy was lost in her head and didn't even notice when a faint voice called out to her.

"Meredy." This time the voice was a bit louder, but there was still no weight behind it.

Still, this time it was enough to pull her back to reality and she pulled her head up to look at its source. White was standing in front of her, looking down at her with his token blank expression, but not meeting her eyes.

"Oh!" Meredy flinched when she saw him. "White… What's up?" She was too distraught at the time, but later she would reflect on how odd it was for him to be the one to initiate a conversation with her.

"Did you see…" He starts, but trails off and changes his question. "Meredy, you know what people say about me. What do you think of me?"

"...Huh?..." The question was so unexpected that she couldn't even process it. Her mind just blanked out.

"... Sorry," White apologizes, still unable to look her in the eyes. "That was a pointless question. You appear to be waiting to see Master Hades, so I won't keep you any longer."

Meredy is still frozen by the bizarreness of the situation. Unable to form a sentence until White has long since rounded the corner and left her alone.

"What was that?" She exclaims out loud when her voice finally does return.

When Meredy returns to her room that night, it is with a mind weighed down by questions. Foremost among them is this:

Who exactly is White?


	13. Chapter 13

Ultear Milkovich was uneasy.

Today, all of the Seven Kin of Purgatory had been called to the conference room of the Grimoire Heart airship. Six of the seven were already in attendance and ready to begin, along with Bluenote Stinger and Master Hades. They were all just waiting on the most recently promoted member of their ranks, White.

She hadn't seen him in over a month now, not even in passing. Ever since his mission to kill the leader of the Oracion Seis, White had been incredibly reclusive. He holed himself up in his room and only left to directly go on missions when ordered by Hades. Ultear had heard from both the grunts and from Meredy that he appeared to be incredibly rattled when he returned from that mission, but she has no clue what could have caused it.

The White who she knows is a monster, a creature that feels no remorse as it plays with the lives of others like toys. She had been there when he tried to kill Zancrow. If it weren't for Master Hades' intervention, Zancrow would undoubtedly be dead. The look on White's face at that time, as a 10-year-old child of all things, was not human.

Even worse, however, was what he does to acquire those eyes along his sword. She had been in Hades' office, watching with him, when White acquired the second eye from the Teleport mage. What he did wasn't for the sake of some goal or to increase his abilities. No, he tortured that woman for the fun of it. Cutting off her limbs one by one and cheering her on as she tried to crawl away. He even used his own magic to prolong her life and keep her conscious through it all. What he did could only be called monstrous, and that's not even considering the slaughter that came before it.

That child is a devil, incapable of human emotions. That was why she didn't want Meredy near him. So, what could put someone like that into such a state? What exactly is he thinking about that is eating him up so much?

The door slowly creaked open and a figure walked into the room. At first glance, everything about him seemed normal. He wore the same clothes as always. His hair was in the same messy ponytail. His pace was even and his mouth was set in a neutral line.

Nothing looked out of place, but when he sat down across the table from Ultear, she shivered at what she saw. His eyes, they were filled with swirling emotions, hatred and anger being the most common to appear. He is normally a person who is on edge, but right now, looking at him wrong could probably get her killed, so she quickly averted her gaze to the table.

She and Master Hades have always known that White is mentally unstable. He tries to justify the things he does and averts his eyes from the truth about what he is. He is quick to jump to conclusions about what other people think and he finds meaning in things where there is none. They've always known that eventually the mask that he wears would fall off and he would entirely embrace the monster that he really is. However, they had thought it would take a few more years for him to get past his denial of what he is.

They didn't think it would happen so soon, but anyone looking at White and saying otherwise would be lying to themselves. The boy is coming undone and nothing will be able to change that. Now, it's just a matter of whether or not they'll be able to control the monster that results from this change.

Ultear looks to her guild master in concern, but he only smiles at her in response. He is fully aware of what is happening to White, and it would appear that he welcomes the change.

"Now that everyone has arrived," Hades begins. "I will brief you all on our next move. We have all the keys to awaken Zeref, all that is left is to acquire him and bring about the Ultimate Magic World."

"Does this mean that you have located the abode of our slumbering dark lord?" Rustyrose asks with his pointlessly flowery language.

"Yes, Rustyrose. Zeref is slumbering on Tenrou Island, the holy ground of the Fairy Tail guild." Hades confirms.

Finally! Finally, her goal is in sight! Ultear's heart flutters at the thought of nearing her goal. Everything she has done, everything she has put up with was for this. To create Zeref's Ultimate Magic World and get her second chance at life. Her life of happiness.

"So, will we retrieve him immediately?" Ultear inquires.

"No, Tenrou Island is special in that it can only be accessed at a specific time. Other than that time, it is always hidden by a barrier that is beyond any of our abilities to breach. However, it will be accessible when the master of Fairy Tail brings his guild there for their S-class promotion test." Their guild master explains.

"UHAHAHA!" Zancrow's laughter fills the room. "So that means we get to kill them too?!"

"Just so," Hades confirms. "We will be going to war with Makarov's strongest children from Fairy Tail. However, they are blind to the true essence of magic. You will not lose."

After that, Hades described to the seven everything about Fairy Tail and Tenrou Island that would be important for the coming war. He told them about all the strongest members of Fairy Tail and what magic they use. He spoke of only two people who we would need to be cautious of: Makarov Dreyar and Gildarts Clive. Ultear already knew about all of this from her own work in the council, but it would still be important for the others to know. Next, Hades spoke of something even Ultear didn't know. Something which only a master of Fairy Tail could know.

"The giant tree which makes up the core of Tenrou Island is the source of the Fairy Tail mages' magic power. Destroy that, and they will be helpless to fight back. Originally, Azuma would have been the best man for the job, however… White." He looked over at the boy who had only been halfheartedly listening to the briefing.

"Yes, Master Hades?" His voice is even and robotic, a stark contrast to the swirling emotions in his eyes.

"Your Cellular Manipulation Magic, have you reached the point of manipulating plants yet?"

"I have," White confirms. "It takes more time than flesh and my control isn't as fine, but if it's just a matter of uprooting a big tree, it won't be difficult."

"I see," Hades stares long and hard at the boy, as if he's trying to put something together. "Fine then, you will lead the vanguard group. Yomazu and Kawazu will come with you and your job will be to lead the attack and destroy the tree when the main force arrives."

"Understood. It will be done." White accepts his task as always. No matter what, he never rejects a mission.

"I expect nothing less." Hades sweeps his vision across everyone present in the room. "The Fairy Tail promotion test will take place on the 15th of December. That means that you all have 11 days to get prepared for the attack. It's time to usher the world into a new age, an age defined by the true essence of magic."

* * *

Mirajane Strauss still couldn't believe it.

Her little sister is still alive! She had fallen into Edolas and lived in another world, but she never died. She survived, and now she is back. Mirajane and Elfman haven't let little Lisanna out of their sight ever since they returned from Edolas. How could they?

After all the pain and heartbreak they had felt for the past two years, there was no way that they would be able to stay away from her. Mirajane understands that they will need to give Lisanna some space eventually, but for now, she will hold onto her little sister as tight as she can.

Right now, they are all sitting together at a table in the guildhall. Everyone around them is frantic with energy and movement, and she can tell that Elfman is getting antsy too. He is torn between wanting to stay with Lisanna and wanting to take as many jobs as he can to earn his right for the S-class trial.

"Elfman, you can go and take a job. Leave little Lisanna to her big sister." Mirajane urges.

She's not at all thinking that she wants her oversized brother out of the way so she can have her cute little sister to herself. It never crossed her mind. Not once.

"Yeah, Elfman, I'm back to stay now. So you don't have to worry about me, just do your thing and get yourself that promotion." Lisanna joins in, pumping her fist towards Elfman for emphasis.

"You got it Lisanna! That's really manly of you!" Elfman shouts with tears in the corner of his eyes as he runs off to grab a job. "I can't call myself a man until I earn that S-class spot!"

"... Lisanna, I have to tell you something."

Once Elfman has left (And after several hours of overly-clingy cuddling), Mirajane speaks to her little sister in a somber tone before leading her out of the main hall and into the guild library, which is currently empty. When they get there, Lisanna stops and looks up at her big sister with a concerned expression, confused about the sudden change of tone.

"Mira? What's going on?" She asks.

Mirajane takes a deep breath to steady herself and find the right words. As the eldest child, it's her responsibility to tell Lisanna about this. She can't put that burden on Elfman or Master Makarov.

"Let's sit down first." She leads Lisanna to a nearby bench. "Now, I want you to stay calm and listen to what I have to say. Okay?"

Lisanna looks into her sister's eyes, searching for answers before she takes a nervous gulp and nods her head.

"Okay. I'll listen."

"Earlier this year, Master Makarov came to me and Elfman with some information." Mirajane begins with a voice shaking with nerves. "He said that Mystogan had found out about an incredibly dangerous member of Grimoire Heart, one of the three most powerful dark guilds in Earthland." She takes a deep breath. "That person's description almost perfectly matched the description that I had given him about Cyrus. His age, gender, hair color, eye color, involvement with a dark guild, and he even uses a sword: everything about him matches with what we know about Cyrus. Everything except for the fact that he is feared as a bloodthirsty murderer."

Lisanna's eyes had been widening further and further as Mirajane spoke, and at some point, tears had begun to fall from them. Her hand covered her mouth and held back her sobs, but eventually, she pulled herself together enough to speak.

"... But it's impossible that Cyrus would become a killer." She chokes out. "Even if the description matches, that doesn't mean it's him. It could just be someone who looks similar."

"After thinking about it for a bit, that's what I thought too," Mirajane admits. "But now we know it's him."

"How?" Lisanna asks. "How could you be so sure if you haven't seen him?"

"A month ago, in a raid against another dark guild, Natsu ran into him." She states, shocking Lisanna into silence. "Lucy and Gray saw him too, but Natsu spent the most time with him. Natsu said that he smelled like us, so he tried to bring Cyrus back to Fairy Tail."

"If that's true, why didn't Cyrus come back?"

"I don't know." Mirajane looks down with a tired expression. "Natsu said that he rejected being related to us and called himself White. He said that he pretended not to care about us, but that he looked really sad and guilty about something."

"If that's the case, we have to save him!" Lisanna firmly grabs her big sister's hand. "He's suffering, so it's our job as his family to be there for him!"

"Do you think I don't want to?!" Mira tugs her hand away and turns her back, still looking at the floor. "I want to save him more than anything. I want to drop everything and chase Grimoire Heart down to find him. He's my baby brother! Of course, I want to save him, but you know what? Natsu said something else about him. He said that he smelled like blood and death, that he had just cut off the leader of the Oracion Seis's head! He said that it smelled like Cyrus was carrying human body parts with him. You know that big scar across Natsu's chest. Happy said that was from Cyrus cutting him when they were talking. I can't save Cyrus, because he isn't Cyrus anymore!" The eldest child of the Strauss family cries out her pain.

"There's no way." Lisanna still refuses to accept it. "Cyrus would never hurt anyone. Natsu must have been wrong. He's our sweet little brother, mischievous and a pain in the butt, but always kind. I don't believe that he would ever become a murderer."

"Lisanna," Mirajane just sounds exhausted now, she's gone through everything that Lisanna is saying. She had rejected and rejected until the time came when she just had to accept the reality in front of her. "We can only imagine the kind of things that Cyrus had to go through. As his family, we failed to protect him. It hurts to admit, but it's the truth. Without anyone to protect him, Cyrus had to become what he is in order to survive. He became a monster because of our inability to protect him, but he is still a monster nonetheless. If you don't believe me, look up the cases that have been labeled as the work of the Balam Executioner. That's what he is called by the council."

"If-if it's our fault that he became like this, is it not our responsibility to save him?" Lisanna chokes out.

"Just look up what he has done. There are some things which can't be forgiven. I'm sorry, but he's too far gone. The best outcome for him that we can hope for now is life in prison."

Mirajane gets up and walks out of the library, her back still turned to her sobbing little sister. If Lisanna could see her face, she would see that her big sister was crying just as badly as she was.

* * *

Hades was content.

It was the tenth day after the meeting, the day before the war. He had been carefully watching White the entire time, just as he had been doing before the meeting. His monster was at a crucial point in his growth and Hades wanted to make sure that he grew in the right direction.

White had been forced to see how others perceive him during his mission to kill Brain. He had been called out and renounced by those who had only ever lived in the light. Ever since then, White had been at war within his head.

He was struggling back and forth between guilt and regret about the actions he had taken and justifying them as only doing what it takes. Trapped between believing in the words of the light and believing in what he has always known, White was at a stalemate. He spent every day sitting cross-legged in his room with his sword unsheathed and resting across his lap staring down at the eyes within it.

The boy-turned-monster was trapped between hating himself and hating the world.

Either way, his hatred continued to build up, even with no specific focus. This worked just perfectly for Hades. A monster ruled by hatred is much easier to control than a monster with its own agenda and values. All he needed to do was nurture that hatred and point it in the right direction.

In truth, Hades doesn't really have an answer for whether the boy's actions were right or wrong. As someone who came from the light, he can never truly understand the thoughts of someone raised in darkness. He knows that the boy has lost his grip on his sanity, but does that make him evil? He has a hobby of torture, but does that mean he is an irredeemable soul? Without that hobby, what would the boy have to enjoy in such a cruel world?

What Hades does know is that it isn't entirely White's fault that he has turned out this way. Magic is influenced by emotions, but it is a two-way stream. Emotions are also influenced by magic. When you use magic for acts of cruelty, your mind is steadily driven to have more cruel tendencies. This isn't something that happens right away, but over time the effects will make themselves known. White has been using his magic in the darkness for so long that it has thoroughly warped his mind.

Hades still remembers when he first saw signs of this change. After White's revenge was carried out on the Dancing Coffin mage, he wasn't in a good way. Once the adrenaline had worn off and he realized exactly what he had done, the boy was filled with regret. For the first time, he had killed for more than survival. He tortured and killed a man for his own pleasure.

Hades saw this regret and recognized it as a weakness that needed to be overcome immediately. So, he assigned White as an executioner and sent him to kill as many people as possible, starting with those from the guild that the boy already hated. He had seen the boy's potential as a monster and needed White to normalize killing as soon as possible.

After that, it was incredible to see how quickly White changed. After only a few missions, he began to relish the chance to kill. He developed an alter ego of sorts, one that he desperately wanted to release. He jumped at every opportunity to slaughter with impunity and cherished every second of the act. Only when he let that side of him out, could he throw away his worries and guilt. Only then could he forget about the pain that this world had caused him.

Even still, White always hid that side of him away outside of missions. He wore a mask and acted like the rational and calm type, thinking that he had us all fooled. Now, the mask has begun to crack and his two sides are merging. This is the final step for him to become a true monster. Were it not for the boy's relationship with Meredy, Hades suspects that this would have happened long ago, but it matters not. He must embrace and accept himself for what he is: a vicious beast that can only obtain pleasure by taking it away from others.

That is what Hades wants, and that is what is happening to his pet monster now.

Hades watches through a lacrima he connected to one of his demons over a month ago to monitor White. The boy undoubtedly is aware of this, but it matters not. White doesn't care about the demon and Hades wouldn't care if he did. Hades looks on as White finally manages to get his mask back on for the war tomorrow, the boy's justification of his actions winning out over guilt, but he isn't worried. The mask has already cracked. It won't last this time. One final push is all that it will take to complete him.

Hades knows that White has something planned for tomorrow, though he doesn't know what. He still sent White ahead, not only because he wants to give the boy the chance to prove his loyalty, but also because whatever he is planning cannot amount to anything. He assumes that White will try to betray him and join with Fairy Tail, but he still isn't worried. The light will renounce him as a monster and he will finally become one. Hades knows that Makarov will not accept the boy. He knows of the hatred that Makarov holds for White after the incident with his son.

The light will reject the boy once again and he will see that he cannot live anywhere but in the darkness. Even if White still decides to attack Hades on his own, Hades will simply defeat him and put his leash back on. If White's revolt results in the deaths of some of the Kin, so be it. Hades can always raise more children. Either way, he will be punished for revolting and his longing for freedom will be broken permanently.

He will know that he belongs to Hades.

* * *

It was time.

I watched from the shore as a single boat sailed off into the ocean. Onboard are 16 Fairy Tail mages and 1 Fairy Tail cat-thing. High above in the air, following the boat from the clouds, were two more such creatures. The Fairy Tail S-class promotion exams were finally beginning, and the course of events to come will mark a turning point in my life.

If all goes well, I will be a free and independent mage tomorrow. I'll have to settle on a new identity to avoid the council and bounty hunters, but that means nothing in the face of freedom. Freedom! Just the word fills me with excitement. It's a concept that has been foreign to me since I was four years old, and even then I was still restricted by my age and family. No, this time I could achieve true freedom. I could get a fresh start in life. Heck, I could even join a light guild!

Ever since my encounter with Natsu Dragneel, I've been on edge, constantly having mood swings and doubting what I've done thus far. Natsu talked as if I chose this life, as if I could change my circumstances by simply wanting them to change. Those words had been echoing throughout my mind, looking down on me as someone unwilling to do better. He was looking down on me as someone lesser, someone beneath him.

However, I now realize they were the words of a naive child. He, who has never known hardship in his life, could never comprehend what it means to struggle. He has never been surrounded by pain and death, so he doesn't understand that your life is the most precious thing you have. He said that I wasn't trying to change, but recently I realized that by simply surviving, I am changing. As long as I am alive, I will have the opportunity to be different later, so until then I only need to do whatever it takes to stay alive. That is the conclusion I came to after weeks of angry introspection.

Anyway, enough of that. The boat is far enough away that they won't notice me, so it's time for me to make my move. This was the entire reason for getting rid of Azuma. I'm the only one who could replace his job in the raid, so I knew Hades would send me first, then I can get to work. That old fox was spying on me the entire time that I was lost in my thoughts, so I couldn't take out my planning paper, but it's fine. I've looked over it now that I'm away, and I'm as prepared as I'll ever be. All that's left is to act.

A pair of gills form on the sides of my neck, and I slink into the water and under the waves. My hands and feet morph into flippers to increase my swimming power and I rocket after the boat. A see-through lid, like that of a frog, covers each of my eyes to allow for clear vision underwater. I maintain a cautious distance from the boat when I see mages beginning to jump overboard. I need to be careful that the water woman, Juvia Lockser, doesn't spot me.

I pace myself so that when I arrive at the shore, nobody else is to be seen. A faint trace of my target's scent lingers though, so I'll be able to track him down without any issues. I can hear battles going on around the island and I can feel fairly impressive mana signatures coming from a few spots, only one is truly intimidating though. I pick up my pace in tracking my target while still going unnoticed by anyone on the island. I need to reach him late enough that he is alone (So after the second exam starts), but before Yomazu and Kawazu arrive.

They also were sent here in advance, I'm not sure for what purpose though. They traveled separately from me, but from what I know about the pair, Kawazu will fly to Tenrou Island carrying Yomazu and they will drop down for their attack. It's how the two of them always work together. I don't want them messing anything up before I get my own position situated.

Finally, the mages all begin to spread out around the island and my chance appears. Four mages who I identify as Erza Scarlet, Juvia Lockser, Lisanna Strauss, and Mirajane Strauss all head for the same spot and set up camp. Freed Justine, Bickslow, and the troublesome one, Gildarts Clive, all head for the shore and prepare to go back to the mainland. The rest scatter about the depths of the forest, and my target advances alone to its center.

When I catch up to him, he is sitting in front of a gravestone, drinking and talking to himself. I walk out of the trees and he immediately shows hostility. This is the holy land of Fairy Tail, and he certainly understands what it means for someone not bearing its mark to trespass here. Magic power is already swelling up within him and I can faintly make out the image of a massive titan behind the short old man. My hand is on my sword, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"Hello, Makarov Dreyar. My name is White, and I've been dying to meet you."


	14. Chapter 14

"Hello, Makarov Dreyar. My name is White, and I've been dying to meet you."

Makarov built up his magic power as he looked at the boy in front of him. Of course, he knew who this boy was, but that was exactly what had the anger inside him at a boiling point. This was the monster who had tortured his son to death. Even if they hadn't gotten along, that was still his son. Makarov had to restrain himself from attacking the boy outright, he needed answers first.

"Grimoire Heart," He spits out the name with disgust. "What do you think you are doing here? This island is for the children of Fairy Tail only."

Until now, he hadn't even noticed anyone else on the island. If this boy was here, did that mean there were others? Makarov's first priority was to ensure the safety of his children. He had to put his anger and hatred aside and get as much information here as possible. His body began to grow until he was a 10-foot tall hulking giant. The oppressive aura he released put the boy on edge and caused him to sink into a fighting stance. Makarov was surprised to see his ankles and feet morphing their shape.

"Easy now," The boy cautioned. "There's no need for that. I'm on your side. Otherwise, why would I show myself? I could have just killed you while you were getting drunk. Besides, I'm your only hope to protect your guild members."

The boy's voice was dripping in confidence. He was completely certain that Makarov wouldn't attack him, despite his ready posture. Unfortunately, he was right. While Makarov wasn't foolish enough to trust him or completely believe his words, he had no choice but to listen to them. The mere fact that the boy was here meant that there could be others harming his children at this very moment.

"Child of Grimoire Heart, I don't know what you're plotting, but I will hear you out for now." Makarov starts to shrink back to his original size. "Why are you here? Are my children in danger?"

"I am here to suggest an alliance with you." The boy relaxes slightly when Makarov stops emitting so much pressure. "Grimoire Heart's entire guild will attack this island today, and you Fairies have no chance of winning. Without my help, you will be slaughtered and thrown away. Your mages are too soft to fight against a real dark guild. I will offer my aid to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Why would Grimoire Heart attack us?" Makarov wasn't convinced. "I don't believe that they would attack us for no reason, but there is nothing that they should want on this island."

"Oh but that's where you're wrong Makarov Dreyar. This island has exactly what they want." The boy gives him an eerie smile. "The black wizard! Zeref is here at this very moment!"

Impossible. Makarov's first instinct is rejection. He was aware that Zeref was not dead, after all, all masters of Fairy Tail knew about the history behind Lumen Histoire. However, Zeref should still be sealed in a slumber. It was not possible for him to be on Tenrou Island right now, and nobody else should even know that he was alive. But, if it's not true, why else would Grimoire Heart be here?

"Zeref is dead." Makarov finally manages to speak. "What is the real reason for the attack?"

"Believe what you want," The boy shrugs. "It doesn't change the fact that they will attack. Zeref isn't important anyway, Hades can't obtain him because he is also working with false information. What is important is that I **want** Grimoire Heart destroyed, and you **need** them destroyed. Cooperation can only benefit us."

Makarov was shocked. Zeref isn't important? How could that be possible?! Who in the world could say something like that, even as a joke? Still, the boy was right about one thing, they had to prepare for the attack either way. He would not allow anyone to harm his children. Still…

"I will believe you for now," The boy smirks at Makarov's words. "But I know who you are. White, the Balam Executioner. Did you truly believe that Fairy Tail would ally with a villain like you? We will protect our own, but I can't trust you to do the same. You only look out for yourself."

White's smile drops and a hint of outrage appears in his eyes. Just as Makarov prepares for a fight to break out, the rage disappears without a trace and he looks to the sky. Makarov follows his gaze, but only sees a tiny speck in the clouds, likely some type of bird. White slowly draws his sword and a purple eye opens on it.

"Excuse me for a moment, a wonderful opportunity to prove my good faith has appeared." With those words, the boy disappears and Makarov is left alone.

He can't help but think about that sword he just saw. There were four eyes on it and Makarov could feel that all four of them were trapping a human soul within. They were still alive. Someone using such an evil weapon wanted to be trusted?

It was repulsive.

Before he had the chance to think about it any further, White appeared before him once again. The boy wasn't alone. Two strange-looking men had their throats pierced through by his sword. One looked like a goat and the other a chicken, both bore the mark of Grimoire Heart. They collapsed in a heap when White retracted his sword. Even in death, they had malicious sneers on their faces. They had likely not even realized that they were killed.

"These two were the only other members of the vanguard group with me," The boy nonchalantly sheaths his sword. "The rest won't arrive until later with the airship. Consider this an advance payment for our alliance."

Makarov was speechless. This boy had just killed his own allies in an attempt to make new ones. How could Makarov be expected to trust someone like that? White was obviously much stronger than these two, so there was no need to kill them. He would have been perfectly capable of merely incapacitating them.

"You want me to trust someone who would kill his comrades so casually?" Makarov exclaims. "Light mages always make an attempt to win without killing. You just proved that you don't have any intentions of changing for the better. You're a monster through and through. Fairy Tail will not ally ourselves with your kind."

"Are you joking?!" White exclaims. He's obviously losing his patience. "I thought I made it clear that they aren't my comrades anymore. Besides, if I left them alive, there would be a chance that they could kill someone else later. That naivety is why you will lose to Grimoire Heart! You can't afford to refuse my offer. Otherwise, you will die, along with your precious children!"

At first, Makarov was enraged by this. 'He thinks he can threaten my children? I'll crush him'. However, when he looked at the boy's face, that anger faded away. The boy genuinely saw nothing wrong with killing them. He honestly believed that it was the best choice in this situation. Makarov thought of what kind of upbringing could result in such a severe lack of compassion and he was struck with a certain realization.

He could feel nothing but overwhelming pity for the poor child in front of him.

"Boy," He starts in an odd tone. "Are you even still among the living?"

"What the hell are you talking about now, you stupid old man." White's face looks like he's staring at a crazy person. "You're old, but you're not seeing ghosts yet. I'm perfectly alive, and I plan to stay that way. That's why you need to accept my offer!"

Makarov merely shakes his head at the boy's heated response.

"You are alive, but you've stopped living a long time ago, haven't you?"

"Listen," White exasperates. "I don't have time for stupid riddles. If you aren't going to help me, I need to think of something else. So, if you have something to say, just say it."

"Boy, you're nothing more than a ghost right now. You've struggled and fought to survive, life wasn't kind to you, you had no choice. However, what you are doing now isn't living." The pity in Makarov's voice causes anger to flare up once again in White's eyes.

"I am living just fine old man." White hisses out through clenched teeth. "Everything that I have done has been so I can keep living. What do you know about me?"

"What do you know of yourself?" Makarov calmly retorts. "You fight to survive, but to what end? What are your dreams? What is it that matters to you? What are you living for?"

"..."

White's face is contorted in anger, but he doesn't say anything. His mouth opens and closes several times, but he has no answer to give. Seeing this, Makarov continues.

"There's nothing like that for you, is there? You're empty."

The fire in the child's eyes sputters out and for a moment he is just that. A child. A lost child who has had his innocence stolen away from him. The moment doesn't last, however, and the fire returns with many times the intensity it had before.

"All you light mages act like you know everything, like you can do no wrong, but what do you know?! You, who have lived sheltered lives with a silver spoon! You know nothing of pain and suffering! Nothing of the struggle to stay alive! Nothing!" White screams at the guild master of Fairy Tail and is left huffing heavy breaths. Eventually, he collects himself and talks in an even tone once again. "Fine, that's enough. If you are too stupid to accept my help, I will just do my own thing. I hope you can look back at this moment without regrets when your children start dying."

Makarov is filled with sorrow when the boy turns to leave. Why couldn't they save this child sooner? Why was life so cruel to him? It was too late now for him to be redeemed, he was too twisted by cruelty to learn of compassion. Even if other dark mages could find their way to the light, this child could never be one of them. He held nothing sacred, there was no line he wouldn't cross to save himself. He was simply too far gone.

Before the boy disappeared into the forest, Makarov realized that there was one more thing he must tell him. One request he must make as master of Fairy Tail. Even if it hurt his heart to say it, it still must be said.

"White," He called out and stopped the boy at the edge of the treeline. He continued once the boy had looked back over his shoulder. "So long as you do not hurt my children, we will not fight you. However, I have one request that I would ask of you."

White didn't respond, but he gestured for Makarov to continue.

"Please, do not show yourself to your siblings. You would bring them nothing but pain."

The 13-year-old child's face goes through a variety of emotions, none of them pleasant. For a moment, he looks like he might break down, but in the end, it is anger that wins out. His face is a scene of barely contained rage before he whirls around and continues walking.

Makarov felt horrible for causing such turmoil in a child who had already endured so much, but he had to look out for his own children first. The Strauss family had gone through too much tragedy. If they had to fight their own little sibling, possibly to the death even, Makarov didn't know if they would ever be able to smile again. Cyrus Strauss was dead. No good could come from them meeting with the monster named White, who had taken his place.

"The leader of Grimoire Heart is Precht Gaebolg, the second master of Fairy Tail." White's voice carried over to the old man, right before he disappeared.

Makarov Dreyar was overcome with shock and inner turmoil, but he could not ask for any further information. White was nowhere to be found and he had to warn his children and prepare them for the upcoming battle.

* * *

I still couldn't believe it.

How could someone be so pigheaded?! That old fool would get his precious children killed for what? His pride? His values? I still can't figure out exactly why he rejected me. It doesn't make any sense. They need every advantage they can get in this war.

Still, my course is unchanged. This is my best chance for freedom. Even if Fairy Tail won't outright ally themselves with me, they still will be fighting the same enemy. I can still win. Zeref will probably kill Hades either way, so staying on his side would be foolish. I'll only survive if I can break away from him here.

"You're empty."

Makarov's words echo in my head, causing my mood to plummet.

What does he think he knows about me? If I don't stay alive first, nothing else matters. Dreams, values, purpose: none of them mean a thing to a dead person! I've lived all this time for freedom, and now I almost have it.

Did he reject me for a stupid reason like that?

Whatever, it doesn't matter. Right now, there are more pressing matters to deal with. If I had gotten Fairy Tail's backing, they could have held off the council for me, but that option is out the window now. That means that I need to deal with them myself. The council mages won't care that I've switched sides if I let them get here.

I morph my body into the optimal fighting shape and teleport high above Tenrou Island to get a view of the sea. A red signal flare is fired from my previous position with Makarov, but I ignore it. Instead, my sight narrows in on a battleship a few miles of the island's coast. Its sails bear the symbol of the council.

I appear on the ship's deck without warning, drawing my sword and attacking in the same instant. The black-haired man in front of me loses his head before he even recognizes the danger. I recognize him as Lahar of the council, but the information doesn't faze me. He's unimportant.

The other council mages onboard only notice something is amiss when their superior's head hits the floorboards. Panic ensues. With their leader dead, the mages are in total disarray. Some run and scream, others send weak attack spells at me. All of them are saturated in the scent of despair when they recognize me.

I, on the other hand, don't care about their actions. The only thing I was worried about is now in my hands. The communication lacrima that was being held onto by Lahar was promptly tossed into the ocean by my hand. As long as they cannot contact the council, they are of no threat to me. That said, they cannot help me either. Their presence on the island would be nothing more than a hindrance.

I unsheathe my sword and point it in the direction of the council mages. I needed to relieve some stress and there was still a technique that I had never used before that would do just perfectly.

"White Sword Art: Bloody Branches"

The sword extended out and broke off in several directions, forming new points on every branch that broke off. Each branch separated and extended at a speed too fast for the average human eye to follow. Slithering through the crowd like snakes, they pierced the heart of every mage and strung them up in the air as the tips continued to pierce more and more people.

In just a couple seconds, Every council mage on the deck of the ship was hanging in the air with a needle-thin white bone entering their heart from one side and exiting the other. Naturally, such a small piercing cannot cause instant deaths. Thus, the men and women of the council writhe and cry out their pain, but it's no use. Even needle-thin, my sword isn't something they can break.

I watch them struggle in pain to drown out my own, even as more branches head below deck and pierce the remaining mages. Watching the weak desperately cling to life and seeing the moment where that desperate desire for life switches to a longing for death has always served to improve my mood. It has always confirmed my belief that controlling my own life is more important than anything else. The suffering cries and pitiful deaths of others have always made me feel that anything I do is justified, so long as it means I don't end up like them.

Yet, this time it's different. Seeing these pitiful weaklings draw their last breaths brings me no joy, none of the usual intoxicating euphoria. Instead, I feel nothing. I don't feel bad for them, nor do I feel regret for having been cruel to them. In the face of their suffering, I feel nothing.

It's almost like I feel devoid of emotions, empty.

I retract my sword to its original form with a bitter taste in my mouth. I return to the island with two quick teleports, leaving behind a scene of death. A ghost ship drifts across the ocean sea, the only crew to guide it lies as a pile of corpses across its floorboards.

* * *

Zeref Dragneel was depressed.

He had finally met Natsu once again. After so many hundreds of years enduring, forced to live a cursed existence, he finally met the one who was supposed to end it. He had shed tears of joy at the sight, but Natsu hadn't recognized him. That wasn't what made him sad. No, it was expected that Natsu wouldn't remember him.

What had hurt was when Natsu attacked him. The attack itself hadn't hurt. In fact, Zeref was excited when he saw Natsu's fist coming his way. No, it was the exact opposite. The fact that it hadn't hurt was what caused this sorrow.

Etherious Natsu Dragneel was Zeref's greatest creation, born with the likeness and soul of his deceased younger brother in defiance of the god of death, Ankhserum. He was supposed to be the one to end Zeref's cursed life. Zeref had waited for so long for that, tolerated so much pain. When he saw Natsu, his heart was filled with hope for the first time in centuries.

That hope was shattered by Natsu's pitiful attack. He wasn't ready yet. Natsu did not yet have the power necessary to kill him. Natsu still couldn't break him.

Even so, all that the black wizard could do was continue to wait. He had withstood it until now, he could continue to do so. That was what he had told himself, but now things had changed. War was coming to this island.

He had felt it when two people were killed in the skies above him, but that was only two. As sad as he was for the loss of life, it was nothing overly unusual. However, just now, he felt dozens of lives being snuffed out off the coast. There was someone on this island who was spreading death and destruction, and Zeref knew that it was a precursor to war.

He looked out at the skies and saw an airship approaching the Island. Blocking its way was a massive titan of a man. A single tear fell down his cheek. Zeref had no wish to witness another war. He didn't want to see anyone else die. He had seen enough death in his life. He tried to escape it all by living on this island, but it would appear that death truly does follow him wherever he goes.

Why were humans so drawn to conflict?


	15. Chapter 15

From the higher level of Tenrou Island, I watched as a titan and an airship clashed.

With his bare hands, Makarov tore the airship to pieces. He punched a hole in its side, crushing the armor like paper. When faced with a blast of the magical convergence cannon Jupiter in retaliation, the titan simply blocked it with his massive forearm.

Watching this clash, I realize exactly how much of a monster that old man really is. I still feel confident that I could have killed him without him noticing at first, but if it came down to a head-on clash I would have been crushed. I wipe the sweat from my forehead at the thought of what could have happened had Makarov been a little more impulsive. There's no sense in worrying about it now. Makarov is strong, but there's no way that he can stop Grimoire Heart from getting on the island.

From behind the smoke created by Jupiter's blast, Makarov winds up and kicks a massive hole in the airship, nearly tearing it in half. The sight makes me scoff, even as Ultear reverses the damage.

What a hypocrite. That ship is packed full of people, exactly how many did he kill just now? Ultear can repair the ship, but the dead won't come back unless she uses much more power than that. That idealistic fool of an old man probably just squashed dozens of mages into meat paste. He was so angry with me for killing two people, but it's okay when he does it. This is why I hate light mages, they condemn others while turning a blind eye when they themselves do the same.

Well, Whatever. This isn't any new concept to me, there's no need to dwell on it.

It's time to begin.

Caprico has taken everyone on board the airship into bubbles with his Human Subordination magic and is flying out to the island. Hades has also emerged to block Makarov from using Fairy Law. Caprico uses his ridiculous jetpack to scatter the troops and the rest of the Kin all over the island, although only on the first layer. The top layer remains as just me and the tree for now.

After Caprico lands, I once again enhance all my senses to find out where all the Seven Kin of Purgatory are, as well as where the prominent mages of Fairy Tail are in relation to them.

In the distance, I can see a boat returning to the island. It should be the same one Glidarts Clive, Freed Justine, and Bickslow left on. Next, I look to where I saw Caprico land. He landed in some ruins area, above four members of Fairy Tail. Standing opposite to him is Lucy Heartfilia, Leo the Lion spirit, Gray Fullbuster, and Cana Alberona.

In a head-on fight, Caprico is one of the weakest members of the Kin, so that many fighters should be enough to defeat him. Three of them will have their magic somewhat suppressed, but for Caprico to choose to land in the only spot on the island with a celestial spirit was a stupid decision. This idiot's magic works as a counter to any humans, but his arrogance made him choose to confront the only nonhuman here (well, besides the cats).

I'm pretty confident that such an incompetent fool will be defeated, so I decide to look for the rest. even if he kills one or two of the Fairy's on his way down, it won't be an issue. After this battle, none of them are essential anymore.

The first person I find is Ultear Milkovich. I can't see her, but I can pick out her scent. She's alone, wandering into the depths of the forest. I can only assume that she is seeking out Zeref, and, somehow, she is on the right path. About a mile away from her, in the direction she is walking, I'm picking up the scent of death. It's not the scent of dead people or corpses, but of death itself. My instincts are screaming at me to avoid that place at all costs.

It can only be the black wizard that is causing such instinctive fear in me. The others don't have as sharp of senses as me, that must be why they are willing to approach such a monster. I make a mental note to avoid that scent at all times on this Island and quickly shift my focus to searching for the rest of the Kin.

Rustyrose is walking around on his own talking nonsense to himself, I find him by tracking his voice. He isn't all that close to anyone, so I don't think I'll need to worry about him for now. If he doesn't change his current direction, the first people he will encounter will be Mirajane and Lisanna. Elfman and Evergreen are also in the area, but, with their current course, they shouldn't meet. I'm a bit worried there, but Mirajane should be able to defeat him.

Still, I think I'll eliminate him first while he's alone. Just in…!

My vision snaps to the sight of a pillar of black flames and I know I've found another Member. Zancrow is confronting Natsu Dragneel, Wendy Marvel, and Pantherlily. That's a fight that could easily go south for Fairy Tail. They are also near the location where Makarov is lying after his defeat to Hades.

I wonder if I should go help with that fight? I don't need Fairy Tail after this fight, but I do at least need them to win. Also, there are two dragon slayers there. Would it be better to save them so they can deal with Acnologia? But, doesn't Acnologia just want to kill the dragons and that's it, or does he want to kill everyone? Damn it, I can't remember enough about the story to tell if their removal from it would give me a death sentence!

Whatever, I'll just go and kill that lunatic Zancrow, then I can figure the rest out later. Regardless of whether the dragon slayers have to survive or not, I need Grimoire Heart dead, so there's no loss in killing him.

I pull out my sword and open the second eye. A moment later I'm in the air, still out of sight from Zancrow and the Fairy Tail mages. The best way to do this is to strike a fatal blow without being noticed after all.

While I'm in the air, I look around and notice Kain Hikaru fighting Gajeel Redfox and Levy Mcgarden. Kain's an Idiot, so I doubt he'll be able to kill them. There's no need to be worried there.

I prepare to teleport into the treeline near the clashing flames when my plans suddenly change and I teleport to a different location.

* * *

Meredy was resolved.

Even though the 4th ranked enemy has left the battle, she is still being pressed. For some reason, the 13th ranked enemy gained an incredible boost to her power. Now, even one-on-one, Meredy was having a hard time keeping up with her opponent.

However, for Meredy, that isn't an issue. Her magic overcomes differences in ability with ease. Strong, weak, it all means nothing in the face of her magic. Everyone has someone who is precious to them, even if they themselves don't realize it. Meredy's magic finds those bonds, regardless of how hard they try to hide it, and uses them to bring her enemies to their knees.

She cannot defeat her enemy in her current state. That doesn't mean that she will fail her mission. For the sake of her beloved mother, Ultear, Meredy will give everything. Having linked her enemy to Gray Fullbuster, the enemy of Ultear, she has made it so that they will share their deaths. Even though she still cannot win, it doesn't matter. She has added herself to that link.

Now, all she has to do is kill herself. Once that is done, both her enemy and her mother's enemy will die. Her objective will be completed and Ultear will be happy. All that matters to her is that Ultear is happy. For a moment, the face of a white-haired boy with a subtle smile enters her mind, but the thought is brushed aside by the weight of Meredy's resolve.

She crosses her blades against her neck and prepares to end her life. The water mage struggles desperately, even to the point of heavily wounding her own leg, but it's not enough. Did that woman seriously think that a bit of pain would shake her resolve? Or was she counting on her desperate words to change Meredy's mind? Either way, it won't work. Meredy is giving up everything for this, her resolve won't be shaken so easily.

She closes her eyes and the blades begin to move, cutting deep into her flesh.

'Goodbye Ultear. Goodbye White.' Knowing that her end has come, Meredy can't help but shed a tear as she thinks about her goodbyes which will never be heard.

The blood spills out of her neck, her artery has been cut. It's a fatal wound, but why have the blades stopped. Meredy's mind is fuzzy from the blood loss, and she's losing consciousness, so she doesn't think more about it. She can tell that she is dying anyway.

Still, who is that? She can feel someone holding her and shouting at her, but she can't make out their face or their words. Why are they being so loud? They're blocking out the sky too. She wanted to at least look at the sky as she died.

When her vision fades away completely, Meredy knows that it's over. She wonders if this is the afterlife, but then light enters her vision once again. Her mind rapidly clears up and she can feel the blood flowing back up her neck and into her body. She can now see that it is White who is leaning over her. He is no longer shouting, but his mask is nowhere to be seen. He looks desperate.

Meredy continues to watch his face as the skin on her neck reforms itself, even after the wound is closed, he continues until there isn't even a trace of a scar. When he is finally finished, her frets over her for a while, tracing her neck with his fingers to make sure everything is okay. Once he is certain that she won't be dying, White turns his gaze to meet her eyes.

He is pissed.

Even so, Meredy won't back down. He just trampled on all of her resolve. This isn't something that she can just brush off. She's just as angry as he is.

"Why'd you do that?!" She screams at him. Her voice cracks at first as she gets used to her reformed throat. "If you hadn't gotten in the way, Ultear's enemy would be dead and I would have completed my…"

" **Shut the hell up!** " White interrupts her in a voice that isn't loud but carries so much weight that she might suffocate. "Why did I do that? I'll ask you instead: why the hell did you do that?! Killing yourself for what? To kill Juvia Lockser? Grey fucking Fullbuster? Just to kill them, you would give up your life? Is your life so worthless to you?"

Meredy bites her lip so hard it bleeds. He doesn't understand! Her life already belongs to Ultear. Ultear saved her, became her mother. If her life can pay back that debt, she would gladly give it.

"My life doesn't matter! As long as I can make Miss Ultear happy, I would sacrifice myself whenever I need to." Meredy stares at White in defiance.

"..." White looks at her in silence. It seems as if he were making a weighty decision in his mind. "Undo your Sensory Link."

"Don't think that you can just come here and tell me…" Meredy begins to protest, but is once again cut off by White.

"Do it." He demands. "Now that I'm here, I won't let you hurt yourself anymore. If you don't undo the link, I can't fight."

"...Fine…" Meredy turns her head away and begins to stand up. The bracelet on her wrist disappears along with the one on Juvia's. "Now what?"

She turns back just in time to see White's sword extend out and pierce through the water woman's heart. She may be made of water, but as long as she is alive, she still has cells. White's magic directly attacks those cells once a part of him is in contact with the enemy. Unfortunately for the water woman, his sword is an extension of himself, made of his own flesh. He can't manipulate much from that distance or in that short amount of time, but from within her heart, there is no surviving that.

Juvia was on the ground struggling to stand up after the shock and pain of having her throat slit, but when she finally reached her feet she was immediately killed by White and fell back down. Meredy can't help but swallow her saliva at the sight with deep fear in her heart. White is seriously furious right now.

"See, it's as easy as that," White sheathes his blade and turns back to face her. "If you weren't a suicidal fool who added herself to the link, Gray Fullbuster would have died there as well."

"That's…" Meredy struggles to find her words for a moment, but, soon enough, her Anger overcomes her fear. "That's because I was alone you idiot! If I had known you were nearby, I wouldn't have needed to go that far!"

"Then why didn't you signal for help?" White asks with his voice rising. "Why was you first thought 'how about I kill myself'? You suicidal idiot!"

"It was the most efficient method to eliminate the targets." Meredy answers, averting her eyes and slipping back into her robotic mission speech.

"'It was the most efficient method to eliminate the targets.'" White repeats in a mocking copy of her voice. "Bullshit. You've just got a deathwish, thinking something stupid like 'I was already supposed to be dead anyway, if I can give my life for my savior, it will be worth it.'. You complete fool, I know that your life is worth more than that. Do you think that that savior would be happy to hear that you gave up your life for them? Then what was the point of them saving you? To give up your life would be nothing more than spitting in the face of their efforts!" White rants on, more than Meredy has ever heard him speak, and much faster too. "Also, don't go trying to shirk the responsibility for this with that stupid robot attitude you do."

Meredy was at a loss for words. She had never seen White so frantic before. She had seen him angry that one time, but this was so much different. Was he actually worried about her? Is that why he is so mad? That's what it looks like, but that shouldn't be right. White shouldn't be the type of person who cares if she lives or dies. Her resolve crumbles away, but there's still a part of her that won't let go.

"But, if my life can help Miss Ultear, it's only right that I give it up. She saved me." Her words are soft, but hold conviction in them.

White looks at her and sighs heavily. It's a face that says he is about to do something unpleasant, but necessary.

"Meredy, Ultear Milkovich never saved you." He started with words so unbelievable that Meredy wanted to interrupt him right away, but he held up a hand to stop her. "Ultear, Zancrow, and Kain were all sent to your town to collect one of Zeref's keys. They razed the town and slaughtered all the inhabitants. Ultear felt bad when she heard a crying child and took you in. She saved you from her own attack on nothing more than a whim, is that really someone worth sacrificing your life for?"

Meredy already had tears streaming down her face. She didn't want to hear this, didn't want to listen. Ultear was her mother, her most precious person. She didn't want to hear someone talk about her like this. Why would he say these things?

"No… It's not true." She chokes out. "Ultear saved me. She raised me in my parent's stead."

"She spared you. She only raised you as an interesting pet." White corrected. "You can't tell me that you haven't suspected it. After learning about our guild and what we do, you had to have questioned what those three were doing in your town when it was destroyed. I never said anything because you were happy, and you would be killed if you rebelled, but everyone knows about it except for you and the grunts."

"But…" Meredy sinks to her knees in devastation.

"Listen, Grimoire Heart is going to lose this war." As White speaks, his left eye is pushed out of his head and a new one takes its place. The new eye doesn't bear the mark of Grimoire Heart. "When you have the chance, find a boat and get off the Island. This whole place will be destroyed, so the sooner you leave, the better."

White looks down at Meredy, but she doesn't move. She is frozen in place, her world has just collapsed on her. He knows that she heard him, she will just need some time.

"Listen, I need to leave to check on the other battles and make sure that once we get away from here, nobody will be following us." White kneels down in front of her and puts his hand on her shoulder. He doesn't speak until she looks up and into his eyes. "Take your time, I know that this is painful. Just know that there is a whole world out there for you, Ultear can no longer block that world off from you. Just promise me that you will leave here, and you won't try something stupid like giving up on life ever again."

Meredy's face is covered in tears and she has almost bitten through her lip, but, even so, she manages a slight nod when White squeezes her shoulder.

"Good!" He smiles at her. "After all, I'd be lonely if you died."

After one more squeeze to her shoulder, White gets up and turns to leave. A pair of wings grow out from his neck and he launches himself up into the air.

Meredy wipes away the tears and watches with an unreadable expression as he flies away.

* * *

Mentally exhausted, I fly in the direction where Zancrow and Natsu were fighting. I stay at a low elevation to avoid being noticed, but my mind is completely distracted.

What the hell was that?

If I had been an instant later, Meredy would be dead. When I was in the air earlier, I looked down and saw her with her Maguilty blades cutting into her neck and I damn near had a heart attack. Luckily, my reaction speed is much higher than the average human and there isn't a delay in my teleport. Otherwise, she would have died.

I had arrived just in time to block her blades with my sword and pull her back at the same time. The cut was already too deep, but as soon as I touched her I was already working on sealing it. I laid her on her back and healed her, all while shouting out abuse at her for her stupidity. I've never been so flustered in my life.

I was so blinded by rage that I outright killed Juvia. If someone from Fairy Tail finds her corpse, they'll never stop coming after me. Hopefully, Meredy gets away before they find her next to the corpse. I can only have faith that she is smart enough to leave before that happens, I can't afford to waste time going back.

My other concern lies in her mental state. I didn't want her to learn of Ultear until she was in a safe location, but there was no choice. I couldn't leave her as a suicidal maniac who keeps trying to sacrifice herself for someone who doesn't care. Once again, I can only hope that she is strong enough to overcome this and move on with her life. At the very least, she was responsive when I left her. That's a start.

Now, I need to get myself back on track. I smell Zancrow, Natsu, Pantherlily, Wendy, and Makarov all in the same place, just a short distance ahead of me.

I land in the forest and cover myself in Silence magic. I steadily make my way closer and closer to the group until I can see black flames through the trees.

My target is just ahead of me.


	16. Chapter 16

Zancrow was entertained.

He always enjoyed watching weaklings struggle beneath real power. He loved it even more when arrogant people who believed themselves to be strong crumbled under his power. People like that, the weak who believe themselves to be strong, those people are the ones who Zancrow hates the most.

That was why he killed those weaklings from his guild who believed that their mere association with Grimoire Heart made them strong. Zancrow loves his guild, and he refuses to allow such parasites to leech off of it. Master Hades was the one who taught Zancrow what it meant to be truly strong, and he will always be in his debt because of that. Master Hades is the only one who Zancrow will ever follow or believe in. He believes in his strength, the strength of a god.

His fight with the three fairies was coming to a close and only the fire dragon slayer still stood. The little sky dragon slayer brat was unconscious back in the clearing where their fight had begun. He'll have to go back and finish her off after he deals with this last one. As for the big cat, well, he had cut the cat in half right at the fight's start. God flames can make surprisingly clean cuts.

Makarov was here as well, but he was on his deathbed after having a hole blasted through his chest by Master Hades. He could barely muster the strength to grab onto Zancrow, nothing more. Zancrow admits that Makarov truly has a lot of power, but his sentimentality makes him weak. Even without that, his opponent was Master Hades. He never stood a chance.

Seeing that Makarov's hand was being destroyed inside Zanrow's god flames, Natsu gave one last push to escape from the flames that trapped him. Truly, This was too much fun.

"The dragon slayer, Makarov, or little old me," Zancrow sneers. "I wonder who's gonna kick the bucket first."

The dragon slayer's magic blazed like a beacon inside Zancrow's black flames, but it was quickly being eroded away. That beacon of light grew smaller and smaller until eventually there was nothing left. Natsu Dragneel used all his magic, but still failed to escape from the flames of god.

"Hahahaha" Zancrow laughed maniacally at the scene. "Well, looks like the dragon slayer was the first to go!"

His celebration was cut short when the god flames began to swirl and siphon towards the center. The fire dragon slayer was eating his magic!

"Why is he eating god flames?!" Zancrow couldn't help but exclaim. Just what is this guy?!

"I see," Natsu marvels. "I guess there are flames that you need to eat in a special way."

Makarov finally let Zancrow go in his surprise, but he didn't get out of this unscathed. God flames don't burn, they just destroy. His hand had been destroyed down to the bone in some areas. Makarov's hand is now completely useless, crippled. Still, he focused on reprimanding Natsu rather than nursing his wounds.

"You Idiot!" He yelled. "Are you trying to kill yourself?!"

"I don't want to die." Natsu states, but then his voice turned into more of a feral snarl. A dragon's growl. "But this bastard killed Lily, hurt Wendy, now he even hurt you, gramps! No matter what, I can't forgive him! If I don't stop him here, he could hurt more of my friends. We're all going home together, to Fairy Tail."

Natsu gathered his magic and brought his hands together for a spell that looked very much like Zancrow's own technique.

"Let them unite. The flames of dragons and gods: Dragon God's Brilliant Flame!"

A massive burst of fire shot out and engulfed Zancrow. Natsu turned around to face Makarov after seeing the blast.

"Grandpa, let's fight." He urged. "I know there are times when it's best to retreat, Gildarts taught me that. But now isn't one of those times. Now it's time to make them pay for messing with Fairy Tail. It's time to make them feel the full power of our guild!" He raises his fist. "Let's fight, Grandpa."

After speaking he collapses to the ground. Makarov tries to shout out to see if he's okay, but he can only break out in a fit of coughs. His wound from Hades is getting worse. When he finally gets his breathing under control, he is interrupted one more time.

"That was a nice speech, but did you really think you beat me?" Zancrow sneers at the foolish fairies.

Natsu can't even lift his head to look, but Makarov can see him. He watches as Zancrow slurps up the last few bits of the flame before patting his stomach.

"That was quite a bit of power that you put into that, dragon slayer." He advances until he is standing right over the fallen fire dragon slayer. "But did it not occur to you that those were my own flames? If you can eat your dragon flames, why couldn't I eat my god flames? I thought I told you already. Fire doesn't work on me!"

Zancrow emphasizes his statement by stomping on the dragon slayer's skull, pushing his face into the dirt. He continues to twist and grind his foot as Natsu's arms and legs flail and struggle.

"Natsu!" Makarov cries out.

With his face fully buried in the dirt like that, there's no doubt that Natsu is suffocating, but there's nothing Makarov can do to save him. His body is too weak to move right now. No matter how hard he tries to muster up his strength, there are times when the mind and the body simply don't cooperate. This was one of them.

"You know," Zancrow starts to build up a scythe of black flames in his hand. "You really pissed me off there. I think I'll show you what god flames can really do."

"Please!" Makarov cries. "Please spare that child! You can kill me, but please let that boy go."

Zancrow looks at Makarov for a moment with an expression of sheer disgust before a sadistic grin overcomes it.

"So now that you've lost, you weaklings resort to begging. Master Hades was right, we don't need people like you in the Ultimate Magic World." His grin grows wider as he looks at the crying old man. "How about this? I kill this brat, then I kill you, then I go kill that blue-haired brat, finally, I kill every fairy on this island. That sounds best to me and there's not a damn thing you can do about it, Makarov."

Zancrow breaks out in his psychotic laughter and swings his scythe down. Only, the laughter is abruptly cut short and the scythe disappears. Zancrow rapidly approaches the ground, but he realizes with shock that his body is still standing right there.

When he hits the ground and is overcome by the darkness, the last thing he sees is a sight from his past which has still given him nightmares to this day. Nightmares of the one time in his life when he had felt truly powerless. Nightmares of the event that cause him to wear the bandages he has wrapped around his torso and shoulders

A pair of cold and unfeeling green eyes stare down at him, almost with disinterest. Then everything goes dark and he knows no more.

* * *

_Roughly 4 years ago, shortly after White had turned 10 years old._

Zancrow waited at the training grounds with a twisted grin on his face. He would finally get the chance to put that useless little brat who has been clinging to Master Hades' leg in his place. The brat always rejected him whenever Zancrow asked him for a spar, but this time Master Hades himself ordered White to accept.

Waiting with him is Ultear, Rusty, Kain, and Azuma. Caprico is out on a mission, so he is the only member of the Six Kin of Purgatory who wouldn't witness this spar. Apparently, it's going to become seven soon with the addition of that brat who always follows Ultear around, but she isn't here either.

Still, Zancrow doesn't care about these things. All he cares about is showing that little weakling his place. The little shit acts so high and mighty, like he's better than everyone else. Zancrow wishes he could kill him, but he can't afford to ruin one of Master Hades' experiments.

Finally, a flash of purple appears in the clearing of the training ground and the little shit arrives. Master Hades isn't here, but he is probably watching through a lacrima. He's a busy man after all.

Zancrow notices that white isn't wearing his usual weird clothes. Instead, He is wearing skin-tight black pants and a white tank-top which is also skin tight. He probably doesn't want to ruin his clothes against Zancrow's flames. Zancrow scoffs at this. Only weaklings would worry about something like that.

"Hahaha! You're finally here you little brat! How dare you make me wait on a pathetic weakling like you!" Zancrow mocks. "Were you too busy pissing yourself in fear? Can't run away anymore now that Master Hades ordered it, Can you?"

"..." White simply stares at Zancrow with a blank expression before walking past him and getting into a drawing stance with his sword.

"Huh?" A vein bulges out on Zancrow's forehead from his anger at being ignored. "Oh, I get it. You're too scared to speak, aren't you? It's all you can handle just being here. It's okay, big brother Zancrow won't hurt you. Not too badly at least. Hahaha!"

"..." The brat simply tilts his head a bit, still without expression. "Are you not going to fight? You talk too much." His voice is soft, almost robotically monotone, but the mockery is clear.

"Alright, you shitty brat!" Zancrow grinds his teeth and spits out his words with venom. "Forget it. I'm going to kill you!"

"Fire God's Bellow!"

Zancrow leads off by breathing out a massive wave of black flames.

The rest of the kin are chatting off at the side, probably concerned that he might kill Master Hades' experiment, but he ignores them. His anger is focused like tunnel vision on the arrogant weakling in front of him.

"Narukami Flash"

A scythe of dark magic cuts through the fire and continues on towards Zancrow.

"Fire God's Scythe!"

"White Sword Art: Snakebite"

He barely manages to block the dark blade in time with his own magic, but a sharp pain in his shoulder tells him that he didn't block everything. A bone-white sword has extended out from White's position and pierced his shoulder. It retracts just as quickly, but Zancrow dashes forward to follow it to its owner.

"Fire God's Fist of Judgement!"

Black flames engulf his fist as it rams into the little brat's side. Zancrow sneers as the kid is sent flying into a tree. He definitely felt a few of the brat's ribs crack under that one. The kid seems to have some sort of sword magic, but even still. He's weak.

"Hahaha! Do you get it now?!" Zancrow laughs as he leisurely advances towards the fallen boy. "You're too weak compared to me! You're nothing!"

When he arrives in front of White, Zancrow raises his arm and fills it with magic power, creating a blade of black flames.

"Fire God's scythe!"

"Zancrow get back!" Ultear shouts from the side.

He brings the blade down, cutting the brat's left arm clean off. In that same motion, the boy takes action. He stops playing dead and draws his sword with an arm that appears to be on his body backwards, allowing him to have a full range of attack even when lying on his stomach. The draw was too quick to avoid and opened a gash across Zancrow's stomach.

Luckily, he had at least begun to dodge with the help of Ultear's warning. Otherwise, that would have been a fatal wound.

'This bastard just tried to kill me' The thought itself is enough to make Zancrow uneasy. What would have happened if Ultear didn't warn him? In the first place, this is a spar. What kind of pathetic weakling plays dead and does sneak attacks in a spar?

Rage begins to take over Zancrow's mind and all reason is lost to him.

"Fire God's Supper!"

The boy is engulfed in a ball of black god flames that constantly destroy his flesh. The brat doesn't have a special constitution of a fire mage to resist the flames, so his body is rapidly destroyed.

"Hahaha!" Zancrow laughs in sadistic glee at the sight of the annoying weakling dying. "You pathetic weakling! You're useless, and Grimoire Heart has no need for useless people. People like you can be killed and replaced whenever we feel like it. That's what it means to be weak! Hahaha!"

Still, he is a bit unsettled that the boy doesn't cry out in pain. In fact, he hasn't made a sound since other than his spell names this entire fight. Thinking that the boy should be dead by now, Zancrow releases his magic. Without the flames blocking his vision, he sees a sight more disturbing than anything else in his life.

All of White's clothes and skin had been eroded away, and a blood-soaked mass of exposed muscle and bone was what stood before him. Its shape couldn't even be considered human anymore. The legs had an extra joint at the calves and the torse was way too thin. The stomach and intestines were exposed and had fallen out of his body. A thick layer of fatty flesh surrounded the head, as if the flesh from his waist had been moved to protect it instead.

What makes the sight even more unsettling is that all of it is moving. Writhing and wriggling around. The muscles rebuild and reattach themselves to the bone. The blood swirls and churns to stay on the body, rather than falling to the ground. The intestines and organs on the ground slide up his body with disgusting squelching noises as they smush themselves back into place.

Finally, The fleshy around his head unfurls like a repulsive flower, exposing his face below. His hair is gone, just the melted remains of his scalp cover his head, soaked red with blood. His eyes are melted and bubbling holes. His nose is also melted and has slid down closer to his mouth. The worst is his mouth. What kind of agonized expression should someone in this state make? Zancrow doesn't know, but he is certain that what he sees before him is unnatural.

White is grinning, literally from ear to ear as his cheeks have melted and ripped apart. His Lips are gone, so only his teeth and gums are showing, but he is undoubtedly smiling at Zancrow.

"What's wrong? Done already?" White asks as his face returns to a somewhat human form and the flesh from his torso reattaches itself. His voice is no longer robotic, but anyone who heard it would agree that there is something wrong with it. He sounds almost intoxicated. "But we were having soooooo much fuuuunnnnn! I'm useless, weak and replaceable. So, I reeeeaaaalllyyy was sooo happy that you could help teach me Zancrow!"

Once the boy's body is back in place, he all of a sudden disappears from Zancrow's sight. When Zancrow turns to search for him, he falls to the ground instead. His right leg had been cut off at mid-thigh.

"AAAAHHHHRRRGGG!" He screams in pain, but still uses his magic to sear the wound shut. When he's done he looks at White. The monster is approaching him with an intoxicated expression and a wide grin, even as his skin regrows itself over the muscles. "What the hell are you?!"

White just continues to smile and approach until he's crouched down in front of Zancrow's face. He takes out his sword and fingers the blade as it shortens to only about a half foot long and teeth grow out of the edge like a saw.

"I," He looks straight into Zancrow's eyes. "Am a weakling."

Before anyone can even react, he brings down his blade on Zancrow's shoulder and saws. Back and forth, back and forth.

Screams ring out in the forest around the training area for a full hour, but nobody makes any moves to stop them. Even after an hour, the shock and instinctive fear still has the rest of the Kin rooted in place. Now that Zancrow has lost all four limbs, they can't help but pray that it will be over. Zancrow's face is a mess of tears, snot and saliva, his mouth is filled with blood from rips in his throat.

"Now then," White merrily claps his hands together with a smile, splattering blood everywhere. "Normally, I'd stop it here and kill you now, but this time I guess I'm just a little bit angry with you. Also, I couldn't help but notice that that cut on your stomach seems a bit too shallow. It's really been bothering me." His smile grows even wider and flecks of the splattered blood cover his teeth. "Let's fix that."

He set down his sword and dug his fingers into the cut, getting both hands ready to tear it apart.

"3"

"Nuh!" Zancrow rapidly shakes his head and tries to speak.

"2"

"Nuh!" Zancrows eyes widen and the tears come even faster. His rapid shaking sprays them on White's face along with the blood.

"1" White rips his hands apart, tearing the cut until Zancrow's intestines are clearly visible. His expression is almost orgasmic with the sheer euphoria of the act.

"AAHHHRRGGG" Zancrow screams with renewed vigor.

"Oh!" White finally seems to snap back into reality after a long moment of sitting in place with that same disgusting expression. "Were you trying to say no? Oh no! I'm sorry, I just couldn't understand you. Really, it's your own fault though." White pats him on the shoulder. "You need to speak clearly about these things."

The sound of teleportation magic being used sounds out behind him and White realizes that this won't last any longer.

"Well, looks like our fun is over. That's too bad, isn't it Zancrow?" White sighs. "I hope that this replaceable weakling was able to teach you something useful."

"White," Hades calls out. "That's enough now."

"Okay!" White takes his sword and cleanly slits Zancrow's throat before standing up.

"What the hell did I just say, White?!" Zancrow can hear Hades yelling, but everything is fuzzy and his vision is going dark. "Heal him! Now!"

He passed out at this point, thinking that he was going to die. He woke up a full month later and was told that Master Hades had nearly killed White as punishment. Even hearing that, Zancrow felt nothing but a chilling fear at the mention of White's name. He never wants to fight that monster again.

That thing isn't human.

* * *

I walked over Zancrow's body on my way to check on the Fairy Tail mages.

Natsu Dragneel is severely wounded, but it doesn't appear to be life-threatening. Makarov, on the other hand, will die very soon if nothing is done. What a pitiful sight he makes. A weak old man with a hand that is nothing but bone and a gaping hole in his chest. I can't help but scoff at the sight.

"Is this what you meant by protecting your own, Makarov Dreyar?"

The dying old man struggles to look up at me, but when he does, he has a weak expression on his face. It isn't the expression of a powerful wizard saint, nor that of a legendary guild master. No, it's the expression of someone powerless to do anything but watch as his children are killed before him. The expression of one who realizes he will likely die without even being able to do that much.

"..Ah.. Thah… Yuh…" Makarov struggles to speak to me, but he is too weak to form words. He is dying now.

"Heh, you light mages really are blessed by the gods or something." I drawl. "Lucky for you, I need you alive to beat Hades. If anyone else showed up here, you'd be dead. Not even you're Sky Maiden could heal you at this point. I hope you realize just how much you owe me when this is all over."

I walk up to the old man and place a hand over the hole in his chest. His inner organs and bones reform themselves under my direction, and even his heart problems are fixed. I use my magic to restore some youth to his cells to try and give him a bit of an edge when he fights Hades. I can't completely restore him now that he has already gotten this old, but I can return him to the condition he had around 20 years ago at least. Luckily, Hades is too cautious to let me use magic directly on him. Otherwise, he probably would have had me do this to him long ago.

I restore his hand after I've restored him, but a certain sound attracts my attention as soon as I finish.

Rustyrose's pretentious babbling and… That's Elfman's voice!

Damn it, Elfman can't win against him. Not even with Evergreen's help. Where the hell is Mira?!

I search for her and find that she went searching for allies with Lisanna in the opposite direction. Damn! This isn't good. I stand up and swiftly turn to rush over, but my way is blocked.

"What do you think you're doing to Natsu and Master Makarov?!"

A redheaded knight stands across from me with her sword pointed my way and an enraged expression on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, as a side note, Zancrow is actually my favorite male character in Fairy Tail, despite being such a minor villain. So, This chapter was super fun to write for me. R.I.P. you crazy bastard.


	17. Chapter 17

"What do you think you're doing to Natsu and Master Makarov?!" Erza yells at me with an enraged look on her face.

Damn it. I don't have time for this right now.

I partially draw my sword and start to open the second eye, but a sword flies at me and I'm forced to defend myself instead of casting the teleport magic. Erza has equipped her Heaven's Wheel armor and surrounded the area with swords, cutting off any and all escape routes.

"You think I would let you escape?" Erza stands tall and blocks my way. "I will not allow an enemy of my guild to roam free."

"Didn't your master tell you not to fight me? I'm more of an ally than an enemy to you." I explain with impatience. "Now, get out of my way. I'm in a rush."

Erza doesn't move an inch. Instead, her expression gets even more fierce and her anger even more prominent.

"You would call yourself an ally, even as you stand above my fallen comrades?" Erza's glare holds me in place. "I heard Master Makarov's words, but now it is clear that you are my enemy. He said that we wouldn't fight you so long as you didn't harm our own. That is no longer the case."

"You pig-headed woman, can't you look around yourself and see what happened here?" This is getting annoying, I need to go help Elfman. I can hear that his battle isn't going well for him. "Zancrow here was about to kill Natsu and Makarov was on his deathbed. If it wasn't for me, they'd both be dead by now! I even spent my own magic power to heal that old man. Now, let me pass."

Erza looks down at the headless body of Zancrow, then she strafes her view over her two fallen allies, but even so, she doesn't lower her weapons. She locks her gaze back onto me and raises her swords once again.

"What you say may indeed be the case, however, my course is unchanged. I don't know what schemes you have conjured up or what you intend to do here, but it is clear to me that I cannot let you go."

"What is your problem with me?" I don't understand. "Should you not be looking to fight those who are harming your guild, rather than wasting time and energy on me? Can you simply not look past your pride and allow yourself to accept the help of someone you consider a villain? I am trying to save someone from your guild before he gets killed, blocking me here is the same as killing him yourself." I take a deep breath after I finish my rant and coldly deliver my last few words. "I will only say it one more time. Get out of my way. Now."

Even after hearing that I am trying to help her guild, Erza Scarlet, Fairy Tail's Titania, does not waver. When she speaks, her voice is dangerously low, filled with barely contained bloodlust.

"After I left Juvia, I got worried that she might not be able to handle that girl after all." She starts speaking and I already know that there will be no convincing her. "When I returned, the girl was gone and Juvia had been killed. As someone who uses swords myself, there is no way that I couldn't identify her wound. It came from a blade much thinner than those magic blades that the girl used. They came from a katana." She points her sword at my own and yells out her next words with all her rage. "You dare to call yourself my ally after you've killed my friend?!"

It's as I feared. Luckily, it sounds like Meredy had already gotten away, so at least some good came out of this. However, right now I can't afford to waste time thinking about that. I need to get past Erza, now. I'll try once more. If this doesn't work, I'll have to break through.

"Casualties are inevitable in war, both sides will always suffer when a battle occurs. I think that you should focus on saving the lives that can still be saved before you go searching for vengeance. I am going to save Elfman. If you still want revenge after this is all over, you can come and fight me then."

"No," Erza instantly denies. "I trust in my allies, they will not die. The only one who has died was killed by you. This isn't about revenge. I will defeat you here to protect my friends."

If I wasn't so frustrated, I would have scoffed at her answer. Fairy Tail mages really do live in a fairy tale world. Even after knowing one of those friends has died, she refuses to accept that it could happen to someone else. She blames everything on me when she doesn't even know that Zancrow killed someone from her guild as well. If I don't get past her now, Elfman could be added to that list of casualties as well. That is something that cannot happen.

Without warning, I launch myself at her and slice the wings off of the right side of her armor. I don't want to wound one of Fairy Tail's best fighters before the war is over, so I go after her mobility instead. With her wings unusable, I jump into the air and form a pair of wings to rapidly elevate myself away from her. I just need enough space to activate my teleportation.

However, it is never so easy. A sea of swords circles around me and attack constantly. Not giving me any room to escape. Even If I had the time to use the second eye, the swords are blocking my vision, so I don't have anywhere to go. I cut them down and destroy them one by one, but there are simply too many of them.

"White Sword Art: Bloody Branches"

My sword splits apart and stabs through Erza's flying blades, shattering them one by one. When there is finally a gap big enough to escape through, I charge for it with all my might. Just before I make it through, all the swords around me disappear. I have no time to wonder what's going on before a strong grip clamps down on my ankle and throws me back to the ground.

Erza has requipped into her black wing armor and flown up after me. Her speed in the air with that armor seems to be faster than my own. Even so, I much prefer this armor to the last. If she only has one weapon, she cannot stop me. It doesn't matter how fast she is.

"Come to me, Tower of Dingir!" My hearing faintly picks up on Rustyrose's voice and I realize that I've run out of time. "Crush these foolish fairies with all your sadness and send them back to the earth!"

Shit! I need to get there, now! Rustyrose is done playing around with them and it doesn't sound like anyone is close enough to help them.

I start to open the second eye on my sword again and Erza charges to attack and prevent me once again.

"I told you," She yells. "I won't let you run away!"

Her sword rapidly gets closer, but I pay it no heed. Now that there is only one blade, I can just ignore it. Erza's blade pierces right through my chest as I make no effort to block or avoid it. She looks shocked at the sight, as if she can't believe it. She expected me to block it, and now she probably thinks she killed me.

With her sword still in my chest, we both teleport high into the sky above. I kick her away from me while she's still in a shocked stupor and look to the massive tower in the distance. I teleport to the ground right next to it, only the sword in my chest comes with me this time.

"Elfman…" A choked sob comes from the tower in front of me while I rush there.

Hurry! You have to make it in time.

"Thank you, Ever." Another sorrowful voice, even though it's far more mature, I can still clearly recognize my big brother.

I'm dashing forward with as much speed as I can muster, I haven't even bothered taking the sword out. Because of the distance, the spot I chose to teleport to was a tiny bit off. That tiny bit could make all the difference if I don't hurry!

"Scatter," Rustyrose's voice comes, he's just a tiny bit in front of me. I can make it! "To the depths of Darkne…"

His voice is cut off along with his head. I just barely made it in time! I look up at the tower that will disappear soon and a small smile touches my lips.

"Elfman." My voice is soft. So, quiet that I doubt he even heard me.

For some reason, I'm feeling incredibly nervous now that I'm here. As he looks at me, recognition instantly appears on Elfman's face and his tears increase drastically.

"...Cyrus…" He manages to call out in between his sobs. "Cyrus, what have you…"

**BOOM!**

I stand still in shock as my big brother's voice is cut off by an explosion. An explosion that happened right in front of me. An explosion that should have been stopped.

I can only stand still and watch as the tower crumbles and a shower of blood rains down on me from above. My brother's blood. Mixed with the stone rubble falling from the sky are bloody chunks of meat. Body parts and entrails that have been blasted into the sky fall to the ground with unsettling splattering noises. My brother's body parts.

I can't speak. I can't move. I can't even think. All I can do is stare in shocked silence at the undeniable truth.

I was too late.

I am knocked out of my stupor when something hits me in the shoulder and falls to the ground at my feet. My eyes slowly, painfully, look to the ground. I have felt enough of those to know exactly what just hit me. Lying at my feet is a severed head. Elfman's head lies on the ground, staring up at me with dead and empty orbs. The lower half of his jaw is missing.

Why?

I collapse to my knees and carefully put my hands on either side of his head.

Why?

I hunch over and touch my forehead to Elfman's.

Why?

Tears flow down from my eyes and my sobs resound throughout the forest.

Why did this happen?

Rustyrose was already dead. Why did the tower still explode? Why didn't I just get them out of it instantly? Why did I just assume that everything would be okay once I killed him? Why is my big brother dead?

This wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to defeat Grimoire Heart, alongside Fairy Tail. I was supposed to reunite with my family after so long and cry together in tears of joy. I was alone for so long, but I always knew that I still had a family. I was supposed to go back to them. Back home. Even if I couldn't join Fairy Tail after the war, I would have traveled the world while staying hidden. Every once in a while, I would stop by to see my siblings and catch up with one another. I was supposed to be happy.

What happened?

What went wrong?

Whose fault is this?

If I was never here, would the story have gone the way it was supposed to? I don't remember what happened from the story, but I can at least remember that nobody from Fairy Tail died here. Pantherlily wouldn't have been killed by Zancrow and Natsu would have beaten him. Wendy would have been able to heal Makarov. Maybe Juvia would have stopped Meredy from killing herself, then none of them would have died. I remember that Elfman and Evergreen became a couple, so that means they definitely didn't die.

Did the changes I made cause this?

Did I kill my brother?

Even I know that my life here hasn't been anything close to what I wanted. I can blame the world all I want, but when it comes down to it, all I've done in this life is spread death and pain everywhere I go. I've always done it while telling myself it's for survival, saying that as long as I stay alive there will be a chance to be better, but I already know that's a lie. Maybe that's how it started, but it stopped being about survival a long time ago.

"You are alive, but you've stopped living a long time ago, haven't you?" A voice enters my mind. A voice that I had rejected as nonsense when I first heard it.

You were exactly right, old man. You saw through this stupid facade I put up in an instant. I'm hollow on the inside, empty. I gave up on my dreams years ago. Values? Morals? I hardly even know what those are anymore. I haven't done anything meaningful in this life. It's been an empty, worthless existence.

I've just been lashing out in hatred at this shitty world. A fantasy? A fairy tale world? An ideal world of dreams and adventure? That's bullshit! When I first came to this world, I thought it was a reward for doing good in my past life, but now I can see it for what it truly is. This is a punishment. My own hell designed to give me hope for a perfect life of excitement and joy, only to viciously rip it apart and erode away my sanity bit by bit as I desperately try to get it back.

Looking down at Elfman's head, I wipe away the tears and snot that have built up on my face.

"I'm sorry Elfman." I choke out in a hoarse voice. "If I wasn't here, this wouldn't have happened. You would have gone on to live a life of joy and smiles, overcoming any obstacles with the help of your friends and family. I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

As I finish speaking, I think back to how this all happened and my hands tighten around his skull. No, that's wrong. Life doesn't work that way! This shitty world isn't such a nice place!

If I wasn't here, Azuma would have destroyed the great tree and taken away Fairy Tail's power! If I wasn't here, Meredy would have killed herself along with Gray and Juvia! If I wasn't here Natsu and Makarov would have been killed by Zancrow!

I can't keep clinging to some stupid story about an ideal version of this shitty world. I need to believe what I've seen, and only what I've seen. Everything I've seen tells me that without me, Fairy Tail would be slaughtered here.

Then whose fault is it?

My grip continues to tighten like a vice as anger overcomes my senses.

Whose fault is it that I couldn't save my brother?

Who stopped me?

I was going to get here much sooner than I did, but that stupid woman got in my way! That pig-headed bitch who couldn't look past her personal desire for revenge stopped me from saving him. I told her, over and over again, that I was trying to save someone. Even after hearing that Elfman was in trouble, that vicious woman abandoned him! If she just listened to me, I would have gotten here before the stupid tower was even created!

Whose fault is it that my brother is dead?

My hands squeeze harder and harder and crunches can be heard from the object between them.

Erza Scarlet killed him.

A burst noise along with the squelch of squashed meat resounds from between my hands and blood and brain matter splattered across my body and face.

I'll slaughter that stupid bitch! I'll tear her apart limb from limb! I'll rip off her skin, put it back on and do it again! I'll lavish in the sounds of her screams even as they rip her throat apart and she chokes to death on her own blood!

"Elfman, don't worry." I whisper in a voice that cannot be called human. "I'll avenge you."

When I stand up, I take one last glimpse at the pile of flesh and blood before me before disregarding it. Now that he is dead, that is nothing more than a pile of meat. My brother is already gone.

I finally decide to return my body to fighting shape now that my course has been decided. My wings retract back into my body and the stab wound in my stomach weaves itself back together. My legs were already morphed, so they just stay that way.

I teleported here in a hurry, so I don't actually remember where I came from, nor do I remember Erza's scent. That means that all I can do is try to locate her based on sound. For now, I only need to decide a direction to walk in.

I search for signs of battle and start to run in the direction where I can hear conflict. Erza Scarlet is one of Fairy Tail's strongest fighters. She will also be looking for battles to join, so by heading there, I can find her.

Erza Scarlet. I don't care if you could help against Hades, Grimoire Heart is pretty much defeated already.

Meredy has given up. I killed Zancrow and Rustyrose. When I was waiting for a chance to kill Zancrow, I heard Zoldeo getting killed by Capricorn. Ultear is with Zeref, and I don't know what happened between Kain and Gajeel, but they are the only two members of the Kin left and they're hardly a threat to me. That means that my only real enemies left are Bluenote and Hades.

Erza is unnecessary. I can kill her whenever I want to.

She will regret taking my brother away from me.

* * *

Hades was surprised.

The war was going much worse than he had expected. White's betrayal was proving to be far more potent than Hades had ever imagined. He had just killed Rustyrose, which makes four members of the Seven Kin of Purgatory who have been neutralized by him.

He himself siding with the enemy is one. He then convinced Meredy to withdraw from the conflict, getting rid of a second member of the Kin. Next, he killed Zancrow. Now, Rustyrose. Add that to the fact that Zoldeo had been forced out of Capricorn and killed and Kain Hikaru had been defeated by the iron dragon slayer, and there is only one member of the Seven left.

White's ability as an executioner is beyond expectations, but it isn't all bad. Hades allowed the betrayal because he wanted White to become a true monster. He wanted the light's rejection to break his rebellious will and force him to fully embrace the darkness. Now, White is so very close to achieving that.

When White killed the water woman, Hades knew that his gamble had paid off. Fairy Tail's attempt at revenge would drive him into a corner and force him to lash out with his true nature. That's why Hades sent a message to Rustyrose, leading him to Elfman Strauss and telling him to kill him.

Yes, Hades was well aware of White's past, of the past of Cyrus Strauss. Kidnapped from the Strauss family at four years old, he was taken to Brain's experimental training facility and conditioned to be a magic soldier. His three siblings were left alone until they were forced out of their village because of the eldest sister's Take Over magic. They took shelter in Fairy Tail where they soon joined under Makarov.

When Hades learned of this, he immediately saw his opportunity to further condition his pet monster. He only needed to set the proper stage.

Fairy Tail's Erza Scarlet would stop White from saving his long lost elder brother. White would arrive too late and would see his death. That death would shatter him, break his will and destroy his resolve. His quest for freedom and rebellion would take a back seat to his thirst for revenge.

He would hunt down the one who was responsible for his brother's death. Of course, her allies would defend her from him, and then White would be in open conflict with Fairy Tail. He would be overwhelmed by their numbers and come to Hades for help. That would solidify Hades' control over him and the monster would be successfully tamed.

Now, all Hades had to do was wait.

Unknown to Hades, Bluenote Stinger had just left the airship and advanced onto Tenrou Island in search of Fairy Glitter.


	18. Chapter 18

I track down the battle ahead of me with a heavy heart.

My pace isn't hurried because I already know that Erza isn't there, at least, not yet. The two magic sources that are clashing ahead of me are both far beyond what Erza Scarlet is capable of. One of them I can recognize as Bluenote Stinger, he is the weaker of the two. The other can only be Gildarts Clive of Fairy Tail. He's the only one capable of releasing such ridiculous amounts of magic power.

From what I can tell, Bluenote is being beaten badly. He likely won't be able to hold out much longer. This will be a good chance to take his power. After losing to Gildarts, he won't be able to fight back. Having Gravity Magic could make catching that pig-headed woman that much easier. If she tries to flee I could send her crashing back to the ground. Even her speed advantage in the air would be nullified.

Once Bluenote is taken care of, only Hades will remain as a threat from Grimoire Heart's side. That old fox is strong, but he won't be able to deal with the entirety Fairy Tail on his own. Even if I kill Erza now, I won't lose anything for it. There is no longer any reason for me to fear either side in this war. I can do as I wish now.

I no longer care about the story from my past life. Elfman's death has severed any attachments I had to it. Worrying about maintaining the canon story is what caused all this to go south in the first place. If I had just disregarded it early on, I could have tried to take Nirvana, or even Lumen Histoire for myself and rebel against Hades. Maybe doing so would have changed things for the better. Maybe not. Since I never even tried, I will never know.

I was too concerned about the repercussions and butterfly effect which my changes could cause. I failed to realize that my very existence here means that the story has been an entirely different one from the start. I failed to realize that not everything will work out like a fairy tale just because that's what I want to happen. Those failures have led to my brother's death.

That naivety ends here. No longer will I restrain myself for the sake of a story that may or may not even be real. No longer will I let such a thing limit my options and dictate my actions. No longer will I live according to some script.

From now on, I will do what I want to do, save who I want to save, and kill who I want to kill. I will do everything based on my own personal feelings and intuition. I will live based on my own terms.

My inner monologuing is interrupted by the sound of trees crashing to the ground a short distance in front of me. Now that I have almost arrived, I can't afford to be lost in my head. I need to decide on what I will do with this new outlook. My pace falters for a moment as I think about how I should proceed from now on, but my answer comes easily.

My course will remain unchanged. I will harvest Bluenote Stinger's magic and then hunt down and kill Erza Scarlet. The boiling rage which I feel at the thought of her name can only be satiated with her death.

Regardless, I need to get to Bluenote first. I'll have to step in if it looks like Gildarts is going to kill him. After all, I can only get his magic if he is alive.

The first eye on my sword blinks open and a cage of silence surrounds me, hiding my movements from the outside world. I jump up into the tree branches to further avoid detection as I get nearer and nearer to the two magic signatures.

Finally, I peek through the foliage to see a middle-aged ginger smash Bluenote into the ground with a prosthetic arm. The amount of raw magic power imbued into that strike was probably more than most mages contain in their entire bodies. I have to dig my toes into the tree branch to avoid falling off from the tremors. It feels like the entire island shook.

"Now then," Gildarts talks down to him with a challenging grin. "It's about time I see you off this island. The punishment for picking on my cute young guildmates is a one-way ticket to nowhere."

"What are you talking about?" Bluenote's speech is surprisingly even for a man lying in a crater made from his body.

"You kept going on about flying earlier, so I figured you wanted to try it." Gildarts shrugs. "With the right angle, I can punch things pretty far you know. I wonder where you will land."

Not good. If Gildart's really does send Bluenote flying, I'll lose my opportunity. It sounds like a ridiculous thing to say, but with this man, I don't doubt that he can do it. I need to stop that from happening, but fighting Gildarts isn't a good idea.

Gildarts approaches the fallen Bluenote step by step and I no longer have time to think about the best plan. I have to act now if I don't want to lose my opportunity.

With my silence magic still applied, I dart out from the trees behind him and grab hold of Gildarts's shoulder. I have no doubt that he would have been able to sense my approach had there been even the slightest hint of killer intent in it. As soon as my hand touches him, the silence magic cancels and the second eye opens. We are in the sky high above the island before Gildarts can even react.

"What the-"

Gildarts starts to whirl around to face me, but before he can complete the motion our location changes once again. We are now free-falling from the air only about 20 feet above the sandy beach on the island's coast.

"-hell is going on?!" Gildarts finishes his sentence right before hitting the beach.

I don't stick around to answer him and return to Bluenote with two quick teleports. I couldn't send Gildarts off the island since he will be my main force against Hades, but the coast should be far enough away to keep him out of my hair.

"White, huh?" Bluenote grumbles, still lying on his back. "You never struck me as the type to save a comrade."

"Save you?" I look at him with an expression that shows exactly how stupid he sounds. "It's the opposite. I was merely preventing that fairy from allowing you to escape."

"Hmph. So you allow the light mages to do all the work, then you scavenge from their leftovers?" Bluenote spits in my direction. "I never knew you were such a coward. So, What happens next? What does a traitorous coward want with me? Are you going to take my magic with that vulgar sword of yours? Are you going to torture me?"

"Well, at the very least I can promise that this will be nothing pleasant for you." I walk until I'm standing directly over him before crouching down and looking upon him from above. "Unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the indication to enjoy this as usual. It's a bit odd, but the idea of slowly dragging this out just doesn't appeal to me any longer. I have someone else who I wish to toy with far more than you."

"You coward. Just because I've been beaten doesn't mean I'm powerless!" Bluenote raises his hand towards me and a massive pressure crashes down upon me. "Did you think you could do as you wish because Gildarts Clive defeated me? A weakling like you will never fly!"

A sword pierces right through his left eye socket and his disdainful smirk melts into shock and agony. The blade isn't deep enough to reach the brain and cause a fatal injury, but it twists around in a circle to carve out his eye and the pain causes his magic to cancel.

"How?! How did…" Between his wails of agony, Bluenote chokes out a few words of disbelief.

I merely pause the movements of the sword for a moment and stare down at him with the same amount of interest as when looking at an insect.

"Even at your best, you couldn't beat me. Gravity magic is just support magic if you don't have anything else with it." I open my mouth to say more but close it when I realize it's pointless. He won't remember any of this soon anyway.

My sword plunges down and a trail of brain matter crawls up the blade before settling behind a steel grey eye. The fifth eye.

* * *

Erza Scarlet was worried.

She hadn't expected her foe to allow himself to be run through by her sword like that. The shock of seeing someone willingly get stabbed in the chest caused her to falter and allow him to escape. Normally, such a wound would definitely be fatal, but she didn't believe that White was dead. There were rumors that he was immortal, but even if she disregards those as rumors, his eyes were not those of someone resolved to die. He knew he would survive that.

She wanted to chase after him immediately, before he could harm anyone else, but she was worried and Natsu and Master Makarov. Their safety came first, so she had stayed to check on them. Master Makarov was unconscious, but seemed to be uninjured. If anything, he somehow looked healthier than she had ever seen him. Natsu was also unconscious, but he had some pretty severe wounds. They weren't from a sword, so they likely came from the man White had killed.

There may have been some truth in what White said, but it doesn't matter. He killed Juvia. He is a villain with a silver tongue, trying to deceive and manipulate them into turning a blind eye to his treachery. Erza Scarlet is not a woman who will be swayed by such evil. She will show him the strength of her resolve when she defeats White and defends her guild.

That resolve was strengthened even further shortly after she had declared it to herself. She had made a discovery that made her eyes wet with sorrow and her blood boil with rage.

The scent of blood had led her to a clearing a short distance away. In the clearing, she had found Wendy sobbing and casting healing magic over and over again above Panther Lily. When she approached, intending to comfort Wendy, she froze at what she saw. Lily's body had been cleanly cut into two halves. There were clear signs in the grass that Wendy had dragged his upper half over to his lower half and pressed them together. She was trying to heal the gap together, but there was no use.

Lily was already dead.

Erza said nothing and merely embraced Wendy in a hug. It wasn't that she didn't have anything to say. She was merely too enraged to properly comfort the poor child in front of her. Wendy, on the other hand, looked up at her with tears in her eyes and a heartbroken expression.

"Erza." After only saying her name, Wendy passed out from the exhaustion of using so much magic.

Erza silently picked up the small girl and walked back to Natsu and Master Makarov. She had also found Happy and Carla in the clearing near Wendy and brought them back as well. They were both unconscious, but they had only suffered minor injuries. After carefully laying them down beside Master Makarov and the dragon slayers, she went to work moving the Grimoire Heart man's corpse away.

During this, she thought back to Lily's corpse. Such a clean cut could only come from a blade. Based on Natsu's injuries, this Grimoire Heart mage's magic should be fire, or maybe acid. Either way, he isn't carrying a blade and his hands don't have the calluses of someone trained with a sword. It was obvious to her that White must have killed Lily as well.

At that point, there was no longer any room for hesitation in Erza's heart. It's probably true that White is an enemy of Grimoire Heart. That doesn't mean he is an ally of Fairy Tail. He is the long lost youngest brother of her precious guildmates. That doesn't mean he is a good person.

For the sake of her guild, her family, Erza Scarlet has decided that she must kill Cyrus Strauss. She will apologize to the Strauss siblings after this is all over. She will accept their anger and hatred towards her. She will even accept exile from the guild if Master Makarov sees this as a betrayal of her guildmates. However, no matter what, she will protect her friends.

From their fight, Erza figured out that White could only teleport to the places he could see. Otherwise, he would have teleported earlier and he wouldn't have made a stop in the air like that. She remembers the direction he was looking when he escaped and sprints after him, determined to stop any more tragedies from unfolding from his hands.

While she ran, she felt Gildarts's magic power as he fought with someone. She didn't know who he was fighting, but they were strong. Even so, Gildarts proved why he is the ace of Fairy Tail and the fight ended rather quickly. Thankfully, that seemed to be the only fight on the island at the moment. Hopefully, that meant the rest of Fairy Tail had regrouped at the camp. They will be safest if they are all together.

After a few more minutes of running in silence, Erza began to feel uneasy. The forest was getting too silent. It was almost as if something had chased all the animals away from this area. The only sound was the incessant cawing of crows as they circled the skies in front of her. That, coupled with the stench of death and gore coming from that area told her that nothing good was waiting for her.

When she entered a clearing directly below the crows, Erza had to cup her hand over her mouth to prevent the bile from rising. It was a sight that nearly made her vomit.

The area was a clearing, but it wasn't natural. An explosion had blown away the trees and created a small crater in the ground. The entire area was covered in dried blood and body parts. As she frantically looked around, Erza realized who they were.

Evergreen's head was partially crushed and buried in rubble, but it was still enough to identify her at a glance. She could only recognize Elfman from his hair and the bulk of some limbs that had been blown off him. His skull had been crushed beyond facial recognition. There was another corpse in the clearing. A silver-haired Grimoire Heart mage.

"How could this…" Erza's voice trails off into a choked sob as she sinks to her knees.

Why was this happening? Why had so many of her friends died today?

"This is your fault. I hope you're happy with yourself." A familiar voice comes from behind and has Erza turning to face him. "It was your own stubborn refusal to accept my help that caused this to happen."

White is standing there with a blank look. If she had looked carefully, Erza might have spotted that he was trembling with emotion, but in her distraught state, he appeared to be calmly chatting about the deaths of her friends.

"You bastard!" She screams. "Did you do this?!"

For a moment, White says nothing. Then he erupts into a rage. Even Erza can see the anger rolling off of him now.

"You did this, you pig-headed bitch!" He shouts in his fury. "Do you even have a brain in your skull? Or is it just filled with pretentious phrases and useless pride? I told you over and over again! I was trying to save Elfman! You just couldn't accept that though, now could you? 'He's a villain. Everything he says and does must be evil.' You see everything in black and white and refuse to believe that a 'bad guy' could help you!"

Erza is unphased by his words. Her own rage surfacing and taking over the sorrow which had previously consumed her.

"Shut up! You're a silver-tongued villain, trying to shift the blame from yourself to get away." She wipes away her tears and glares at White with an expression of sheer hatred. "You killed Juvia! You killed Lily! You were about to kill Master Makarov and Natsu! You want me to believe that you are helping us? I'm not surprised that a monster like you could even murder his own elder brother."

"How much of that did you just make up on the spot?" White scoffs. "This is what's wrong with you light mages, you see someone commit one crime and then you decide that they are evil. Yes, I killed Juvia, but that's it. I haven't touched anyone else from your guild. You just hate me, so you want to pin everything as my doing. Even Juvia, if I hadn't stepped in and killed her, Meredy would have died. How is it fair that only you people can defend yourselves? How is it fair that when you kill, it's self-defense, but when I kill, it's murder?"

"Because we are defending ourselves and our friends. You are killing for your own agenda and pleasure. That's the difference." Erza requips into her Clear Heart Clothing. "Enough. I don't care if you are related to my guildmates. I'm going to make sure you can never threaten my family again!"

"You mean that you are going to kill me. Call it what it is." White gets into a stance. "Fine then. I didn't come here to talk philosophy with you. I already know that you light mages are too obtuse for that. I came here to kill you."

Erza lets out a shout as she charges at white with a sword in each hand. White sinks lower in his stance and digs his toes into the ground. He dashes forward at a blinding speed, nearly disappearing from Erza's vision.

"Narukami Flash"

Erza barely manages to duck under the scythe of dark magic released from the blade and get her two swords in position to parry White's sword strike. Only, she feels no weight when their blades come into contact and the bone-white sword passes straight through her guard. A deep cut appears on her side a few inches below the point of contact.

"White Sword Art: Hidden Blade."

"An illusion?" She jumps back and clutches her side.

White gives her no time to rest and charges her once again. Erza struggles to guard against the flurry of attacks as White dashes at her from every angle, his morphed legs allowing him to move at speeds which she can hardly react to. Small cuts begin to pile up on her body and her strength is being whittled away.

She knows that if this continues, she will lose. Erza is forced to acknowledge that her opponent is too strong for her to defeat unscathed. She needs to take a gamble if she wants to win.

She sees White getting ready to dash at her again and can tell from his stance that this attack will be a thrust. This will be her only chance. She will shift her position just enough that the thrust misses her vitals and cut off his head while his sword is stuck in her. This is the best chance she will have to kill this monster.

Erza's eyes are locked onto him as White dashes forward. She captures every movement he makes as he thrusts his arm out and she grits her teeth as the blade sinks into her side, right above her hip bone. She watches White's eyes widen as he realizes what's happening, but it's too late. Her sword is already halfway through his neck.

Then it stops.

No, not just the sword. Erza can't move at all. She can only look forward as White pulls his sword out of her stomach and removes her sword from his neck. He knocks both of her swords out of her hands as his neck reforms and reattaches itself.

What is going on? Teleportation, Illusion, Regeneration, Paralysis: Just how many different types of magic does he have?

"Wow, you really scared me there." White rubs his neck and twists his head a little bit. "I really didn't expect that at all. I thought you Fairy Tail wizards would always just think that your feelings would be enough and you wouldn't actually need to risk your lives in battle."

All Erza can do is glare at him as he talks. Still, she readies her Requip magic to attack as soon as she can move again.

"It appears that either I've gotten better at this, or you are much weaker than Zero was. Honestly, I only expected this to hold you for a couple seconds. Still, I don't trust it to hold you much longer."

An excruciating pain comes from Erza's right knee and she falls to the ground. She can't turn her eyes down to look, but she knows what happened. White had just kicked her knee in, shattering her knee cap.

"Since I know you'll be moving soon, I should at least make it a bit difficult for you. Don't you agree?" The same pain erupts from her left knee. "I could just kill you, after all, you tried to kill me, but I won't do that. You killed Elfman. I won't be satisfied if you don't feel at least as much pain as his death caused me."

Erza grits her teeth and ignores his words. She focuses everything on her magic so that she can use it as soon as she is able to move.

"I don't think that mere physical pain can compare to it," White shatters her left elbow next. "But we can try to find out."

When White lifts his foot above her right arm and stomps down, the Body Restriction magic wears off and a sword appears in Erza's right hand.

"Demon Blade Benizakura!"

She swiftly moves it upwards and uses every bit of magic power in her body in one strike which cleaves White in half, from his crotch to his shoulder. The two halves fall to the ground with a thud and Erza's arm falls as well.

She lies in agony, completely drained of magic power and with three broken limbs. However, a smile touches her lips. She has won. She has protected her guild from that monster. No more of her family will die.

Her consciousness fades away and darkness begins to take over. She thinks to herself that it is okay though. Her enemy is already defeated. She can rest now.

"Damn that hurts."

Her eyes snap back open and her mind is filled with denial. No way! There's no way he is still alive! I cut him in half! There's no way he's actually immortal! Otherwise, he wouldn't have been scared earlier!

"You nearly killed me, you bitch!" White's voice is unmistakable. He is alive. "Ahahahah! Well, I suppose I deserved that. I was so blinded by rage that I wasn't even defending myself at all this entire fight. I don't think I've ever been so sloppy and careless."

The sunlight on Erza's face is blocked by a shadow and she strains her eyes to see White standing above her. There is still a gap between his shoulder and his neck, but she watches as the bone and muscles connect and pull themselves together. Within seconds, he is back in perfect condition. He was just laughing, but his facial expression is anything but amused.

"H-how are you alive?" Erza's voice is weak, she is struggling to maintain consciousness after using all her magic power. Only the pain from her broken limbs is keeping her awake.

"Haven't you heard? I'm immortal." White approaches her and raises his sword above her throat. "Enough games. I'm not in the mood to play anymore. Be grateful for this painless death. It's more than you deserve."

He raises the sword up and brings it back down with force. Erza can only close her eyes and wait as an inevitable death approaches.

***Clang***

When that death doesn't come and a noise resounds from above her, Erza opens her eyes. The clang was the sound of a sword being blocked by claws.

Mirajane Strauss had pushed White away and was standing protectively above Erza.


	19. Chapter 19

Mirajane's thoughts were a mess.

Ever since she found out that Grimoire Heart had invaded Tenrou Island, she had been preparing herself for an encounter with her youngest brother. She had thought of countless situations in which they could meet and countless ways to start the conversation. She had agonized over what to say when Cyrus stood in front of her and had even come up with a few ideas for how the conversation might go. Even if he was on the enemy's side, he was still her little brother. She was determined to at least attempt to talk things out with him.

All that time spent racking her brain was useless now that he was actually standing in front of her. No matter how many situations she had planned for, Mirajane Strauss could never have imagined that the first glimpse of her little brother she had gotten in a decade would be the sight of him nearly killing Erza. She had knocked him away and saved Erza on instinct when she first arrived, but now the reality of what might have happened had sunk in.

She was naive. Her thinking was backward. It shouldn't have been that even if he was an enemy, he was still her brother. What she should be thinking is even if he is her brother, he's still her enemy.

Mirajane looks down at her fallen guildmate and can't help but cringe at the sight. Erza Scarlet was on the verge of death. Blood seeped ceaselessly from a deep cut on her side. Her knees were bent the wrong way and they both were purple and swollen. Her left arm was in a similar state.

The sight reminds Mirajane about the news she had managed to acquire about "The Balam Executioner". He relished in torture.

She looked back up at the boy before her with a fierce expression. He wore a purple and black haori and had his long white hair in a messy ponytail. His bare feet didn't appear human. Instead, they seemed to be optimized for running speed. This was the Balam Executioner, her lost little brother.

Seeing him before her caused a tidal wave of emotion inside her, but right now none of that mattered. No matter who he was, he wouldn't get away with doing such a thing to her friends.

That fierce look melted almost immediately when she saw his face. What she saw was not the face of some psychopathic sadist who tortures people for his own pleasure. It wasn't the face of a hardened dark mage either. No, all she could see was a scared child panicking about seeing his family. His eyes were wide and his face had gone pale as he stared at her, frozen in place.

Mirajane could see the inner turmoil and swirling emotions clearly on his face. Surprise. Uncertainty. Fear. Sorrow. Shame. Guilt. He settled on an expression that reminded her of the face Cyrus would make when her father dragged him to her for a scolding after he had run off to some wizard in town.

He didn't look like a monster with a blackened heart. He looked like her little brother who was afraid of being scolded. There was no indication that he would attack them at all. If anything, it looked as if he was about to run away.

"Mira, why'd you just run off like…" Lisanna comes running into the clearing but freezes in place when she sees what's going on. "Cyrus?!" She chokes out his name with bated breath.

White's head had swiveled over to her so quickly that he might have broken his neck. One look at him had convinced Mirajane that he was about to flee. Logically, that might be the best outcome for them. They could get Erza back as quickly as possible and avoid a fight where they need to defend her.

However, whether it's logical or not, Mirajane wasn't willing to accept that. She had just seen a glimpse of her little brother in the supposed monster who stood before her. She no longer cared about logic, she wanted to grasp any hope she could find that her brother wasn't beyond saving.

"Cyrus Strauss, don't you dare run away!" Her booming voice stopped Cyrus in his tracks on instinct, even as he had just begun to turn towards the forest. She used the same tone as she had when they were children. "Lisanna, come here and get Erza. You need to bring her to Wendy."

"What? But I…" Lisanna begins to object, still staring at Cyrus, but a hard look from her elder sister shuts her up. Mirajane's warm-hearted nature was nowhere to be seen at the moment. She was serious. "...Okay. Got it."

Seeing that Lisanna had begun to run towards them, Mirajane turned back to Cyrus. Only, there was nobody there. She quickly scanned left and right, but he was nowhere to be found. Just when she began to worry that he had fled, Lisanna let out a surprised yelp from behind her.

Mirajane spun around to see Cyrus standing above Lisanna with a single arm extended out. From the looks of things he had only pushed her to the ground, but Mirajane was shocked nonetheless. Had he moved so fast that she couldn't even notice it? That's ridiculous! She may be rusty, but she's still an S-class mage! How could a child be that far beyond her?

"I'm sorry," Cyrus finally speaks, but he sounds off. He had at least regained his composure and put on a blank expression, but his voice wasn't quite as even. It was like he was trying to force on a broken mask. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you take her away."

* * *

I had really messed up this time.

My hatred for Erza Scarlet made me negligent. If I had just killed her in the first place, this wouldn't have happened. I wanted to toy with her and wring every last drop of hope out of her before letting her die. This is something I have done many times in the past, but this time I was too careless. She still had allies alive this time.

All of my fooling around and indulging my anger allowed her allies time to intervene. Again, normally this wouldn't be a bad thing. Killing them in front of her would be the perfect revenge for her letting Elfman die in front of me. Only, the allies who came were the worst possible people. The only people in the world who I would never kill are now trying to defend the one I wish to kill most.

To be honest, I had almost forgotten about Erza entirely when I saw Mira in front of me. My mind was entirely consumed with the thought that I had to leave. Everything I had done was to survive until I could return to my family. How could I face her now that Elfman had died?

Ironically, the thing that allowed me to regain my composure was hearing Mira say Erza's name. I remembered my purpose and decided to focus on that instead.

So, here I am. I'm standing above Lisanna with my sword unsheathed and pointed at Erza, who is still lying down next to Mira. I could just attack her now, but I don't want to fight my family. I only need to make them understand.

"Why are you doing this?" Mira pleads. "Why are you still fighting for Grimoire Heart? You could leave them right now! Nobody could stop you if you just changed sides."

"Grimoire Heart has nothing to do with this anymore." I try to keep my voice flat, but my anger and hatred of that woman still seep into it and give it a menacing tone. "I will kill her because I cannot forgive her. That's all there is to it."

"That doesn't make any sense," Lisanna rises to her feet and exclaims from behind me. "Master Makarov told us that you weren't an enemy, that you were fighting Grimoire Heart too. If that's true then why would you want to kill Erza? Cyrus, you aren't really a dark mage. You're just scared, right? It's okay, we're all here for you now. Me, big sis Mira, and big brother Elfman are all here for you."

"That's right." Mira jumps in. "I don't know what you think she did, but Erza is a good person. I'm sure that you're misunderstanding something. Just come back to our camp with us and I know we can talk this out. We're family, aren't we?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. It's because we are family that I can't forgive that woman. You both have been so focused on me that you haven't even looked around, have you?" I wave my arm around the area. "This is all that woman's fault. Take a look for yourselves and decide if you really want to keep defending her."

I watch as Mira starts to survey her surroundings for the first time. I see her eyes linger on the corpse of Rustyrose first, the only one that still retains a human shape. I witness the shock and disgust when she sees the chunks of flesh scattered. Next is the sorrow and anguish when she recognizes Evergreen's corpse, followed closely by panic at the realization of what that means.

"Elfman!" A scream comes from behind me and I turn to see Lisanna kneeling over the pulped remains of Elfman's skull.

Lisanna is a sobbing mess, so I quickly turn back to face Mira. I don't want to see my family like that, but they need to know the truth. They need to know of that evil bitch's sin.

Mira has fallen to her knees with tears streaming down her face, but she is not sobbing like Lisanna. Somehow, she is managing to hold herself together, but the look on her face is one of complete devastation. She's barely stopping herself from falling apart.

"Wh-what happened?" Her voice is shaking, yet still surprisingly calm.

The sound grated against my instincts and immediately put me on alert. I had almost entered a combat stance on reflex.

"Elfman was fighting a member of the Seven Kin of Purgatory." I point to Rustyrose's corpse. "I knew he couldn't win, so I tried to come help, but I was blocked by Erza Scarlet. I explained to her what was going on, but she was so determined to kill me that she still wouldn't let me go. When I finally got past her it was already too late. Directly or not, she killed Elfman."

"Don't take me for a fool. Erza wouldn't do that." Mira immediately rejects my words. Her devastation is turning into hostility, and it's looking for a target. "Erza Scarlet is someone who would do anything for her friends. She's Fairy Tail's Titania. If she knew Elfman was in trouble, she would be the first one to rush to his aid. No matter what, she would never let a friend die. Do not lie to me again."

There is what feels like ages of silence between us, with only Lisanna's sobs to fill the air. I try as hard as I can to suppress it, but it's no use. Even if she's my sister, Mira's words just then filled me with so much anger that I can almost feel something snap inside me. She sounded no less pretentious than any other hypocritical light mage.

"She's nothing more than a blind fool who can't look any deeper than the surface layer of things! She saw me as evil, so she refused to believe my words! She saw Elfman as her friend, so there's no way he could die! She abandoned him on the premise that 'good guys can never lose'. What she did was as good as killing him herself!"

"Even if that's what really happened." Mira stands up and looks at me with a hardened expression. "There's nothing wrong with having faith in your friends. It's still you Grimoire Heart people's fault for attacking us in the first place!"

It hurts.

I feel like there's a knot in my chest.

No longer is she looking at me like her lost little brother. No longer are her eyes filled with those complex emotions she looked at me with before. No longer is she looking at me like an ally.

Her eyes are narrowed and fully guarded, the same as you would have when faced with a potential enemy. Her words that once separated me as being a part of her family, now throw me in the same boat as the rest of her guild's enemies.

Whose fault is it that my only remaining family is looking at me like that? Whose fault is it that my big sister is looking at me like an enemy?

My eyes turn to the figure lying prone behind Mira and my hatred flares up like never before.

"If this shitty world wasn't made up of stupid idealists like her, maybe the people would actually take a look at reality for once and solve the real problems." I shout out in frustration. "This world is made up of fantastical magic powers and it's filled with super-powered people who want nothing more than to go around saving the day. That's what light guilds are. They are gatherings of idealistic fools who wish to live their life being praised as saviors."

"What's wrong with that?" Mira asks. "What's wrong with wanting to help people? All you dark guilds do is spread misery and pain. How can you even talk about helping people? Erza has saved so many people as a Fairy Tail mag. How many people have you killed in Grimoire Heart?"

"There wouldn't be anything wrong with that if you actually saved people, but that's just not what you people do. Instead, you hire yourselves out to the rich as performers or bodyguards. Maybe you will do a monster extermination mission that saves one or two people, but you completely ignore slave rings and mass murderer dark guilds. I think I have a right to talk about that at least." The pent up frustration that I've held ever since that day at four years old comes rushing to the surface all at once. "The council and the guild masters know all about the dark guilds, so why is it that they never do anything about it? Why is it that no matter what I endured, no matter how long I persevered, nothing ever changed? Why did nobody ever come to save me?!"

I'm huffing heavily after screaming out the last sentence with almost all my might. I never admitted it, not even to myself, but that is the thing that had eaten away at me the most. Ever since I was first captured, I told myself that I couldn't rely on someone to come save me. I had to find a way out by myself.

I told myself that, but how could I not have had hope for someone to rescue me? This was supposed to be a fantasy world. A world full of literal storybook heroes. A world where everyone is always saved at some point. I held on each and every day with the hope that Makarov would come crashing into that cave to save me tomorrow. Each day, as long as I could make it until tomorrow, I would be saved.

Eventually, it became an obsession. As long as I survive, someone will come to save me eventually. Deep down, I knew it a long time ago, but it took all the way until now for me to accept the fact that this shitty world isn't like that. It doesn't matter how long you survive, the salvation of a dark mage isn't one of this world's priorities. After all, I'm just some evil dark mage.

Who would even want to save me anyway?

"I-I tried to save you." Mira's hostility has faded and her voice is now soft and broken. "I tried as hard as I could, I promise I didn't abandon you. It's just that, we were so young, we weren't strong enough to hunt down dark guilds. I told Makarov and he had Gildarts keep an eye out for you while we got stronger, but it wasn't enough. It was just too difficult to track you down by the time we were strong enough."

"I don't blame you." My voice is even once again. My mood is fluctuating so quickly that even I feel uneasy about it. "But that's the problem with light guilds. Did Makarov ever leave the guildhall to look for me? Did Gildarts put aside his quest chasing dragons and legends to focus on saving me? They had both heard about a child who had been kidnapped by a dark guild and they decided, 'we'll keep an eye out for him'. That's not how light guilds should operate! Even Erza knew about a tower of slaves, but she just ran away from it and pretended it didn't exist. Now her idealism has killed our brother. Don't defend a woman like that."

"But she's…" Mira starts to talk in a voice marred by uncertainty, but the sound of coughing cuts her off.

"D-don't listen to- to him… Mira." Erza's voice is incredibly weak, but it still carries the same amount of pretentious authority. "He's a snake. He's trying to… turn us on each other. He killed Juvia and Lily. He's the one who killed Elfman and Evergreen. Just- just look at what... what he did to me. If- if not for you, I'd b-be dead. How can you trust him?" Erza erupts into a coughing fit once she's done talking and spits out a large wad of blood.

"Erza!" Mira jumps over to her and cradles her head. "Don't worry, I'll definitely get you to Wendy, just hold on until then. Cyrus wouldn't kill Elfman though, don't you see the other Grimoire Heart guy?"

"Th-think for yourself." Erza chokes out. I want to kill her now, but Mira's in the way. "You should know what he does best. Y-You followed every bit of news about him. Dismembered limbs scattered around the scene. Brain matter spilled and strewn about the ground. It all matches, just look for yourself. That isn't your brother. That's a monster."

I can't hold back my anger anymore. That evil woman is actually trying to turn my sister against me! She's trying to deny me of my own family! I will not forgive her! Even if I have to push past Mira, I'll kill that bitch!

"Extend."

My blade shoots out at Erza's head at full speed, but a pair of claws knocks it to the side and it buries into the dirt. I retract it and charge at Erza in the same motion. Mira meets me halfway in her Satan-Soul form and sword and claws clash once again.

"Get out of my way. Can't you see that that woman is just trying to set you against me." I plead with Mira. "I would never try to hurt Elfman! He's my family!"

"Erza wouldn't lie to me. She has always been a loyal and trustworthy friend. You, on the other hand," She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When they open back up, I can see the difference in her eyes. She had let go of her hope for me. "I know what kind of things you have done, what kind of person you are."

She jumps into the air and starts attacking me from all directions. I easily deflect every attack, but each one is heavier than the last. Not in a physical sense, but as a weight in my chest. The knot is tightened with each blow and it feels like I'm suffocating.

She jumps back and hovers in the air high above me with her arms extended out.

"Soul Extinctor."

A wave of dark magic engulfs me, but I make no effort to dodge or avoid it. I don't even dull my sense of pain like I normally do in a fight. I need something to take my mind off of this feeling in my chest. I relish in the pain as I regenerate the damage. The pangs of agony rushing to my brain completely allow me to ignore the knot. Physical pain is like ecstasy compared to that feeling.

Only, her spell ends and the pain is gone. I see her hovering in the sky taking heavy breaths and the knot tightens once again.

Mira dashes down at me, but I've had enough. I don't want to feel like this anymore.

"Fall"

The fifth eye on my sword opens and Mira crashes straight down to the ground with enough force to create a large crater. With her out of the way, I can quickly kill Erza without any issues.

I dash at Erza at full speed, knowing that the weakened version of Bluenote's Gravity magic won't hold Mira for long. I draw my sword and slash once I'm close enough, but at the last second a flash of white gets in the way and my blade makes contact with something sooner than it should have.

"ARGH!" A loud shout of pain comes from directly in front of me and my heart sinks.

Lisanna had jumped between myself and Erza. There's no way she could have kept up with my speed, so she must have begun moving as soon as she saw Mira fall from the sky. Regardless of how she got there, she ended up taking the brunt of my quickdraw across her back.

She was closer to me than when I intended to strike, so luckily the force of the attack was weakened, but I still cut her pretty deep. Nothing crippling or life-threatening, but without a proper healer it will leave a nasty scar.

"Lisanna! I'm sorry! Hold on, I'll fix it now." I start kneeling down to close the wound, but a massive impact on my side sends me flying into a tree at the clearing's edge.

I cough up a wad of blood as a large chunk of my side is now missing. While I work on healing myself, I look back at Mira as she crouches protectively over Lisanna. The look she is giving me tells me that she no longer sees me as anything more than a villain.

"You would even harm Lisanna?!" Mira shouts at me. "Even if Grimoire Heart had turned you into a monster, I never imagined that you would become the kind of scum who could kill his own family."

It hurts.

"I didn't!" I cry out. "I-I promise I would never do anything to hurt you guys! You're my family, you're all that I have left!"

"And yet you just slashed Lisanna."

"It was an accident, I promise!" My voice has lost any semblance of composure. I stand up and begin walking towards them. "Mira, please! I can heal her. I promise that I still love my family, just give me a chance!"

"Evil Explosion"

A massive blast of dark magic knocks me back through the tree that I had previously leaned against and into one behind it.

"Don't you dare come near her." Mira's voice is full of disdain. "Even if you didn't mean to attack Lisanna, you hurt her because you went berserk trying to kill Erza. I tried to give you a chance. You threw that away when you tried to murder my friend. I have no more faith to give you, White."

I pick myself up and start to heal my wounds once again, but I can only heal the physical. The pain in my chest is beyond my ability to heal.

"Don't call me that," I beg. "Please, I'm Cyrus. Your mischievous little brother, Cyrus Strauss. I-I know that I've done some terrible things, but I promise I'm not an evil person. Everything I did was so that I could get the chance to go back to you, back to my family. Even if I can't join any light guilds, I could just wander around and visit you every once in a while. Even if it's only once or twice every year, I would still be happy." My frantic begging turns into almost a whimper. "Please, don't abandon me, big sis. I don't want to be alone anymore."

Mira's face turns soft and hope fills my heart, slightly alleviating the pain from that knot. Then, her eyes look to Erza, then Lisanna, then Elfman's remains. Her gaze lingers on Elfman and I can see as that hesitation leaves her face. The hope is extinguished and the knot tightens again. It's so hard to breathe that I'm hyperventilating now.

"I no longer have any little brothers." Her voice is a dagger in what remains of my heart. "Elfman just died, and Cyrus has been dead for a long time. You are White, a vengeful spirit who took my little brother's body. You're nothing more than a monster with human skin. Did you really think you could fill his place if you just came back to us? Did you think that the things you've done could be forgiven so easily? What part of torturing people did you think would help you get back to us? The fact that you don't understand that tells me that Cyrus is so far gone that he can never come back."

I just stand there. I can't move. I'm taking as big of gasps for air as I can, but it feels like nothing is entering my lungs. My head is pounding so badly that I can hardly think. I can feel something welling up behind my eyes.

"Mira, please…" I try to beg once more, but my shaky voice is cut off.

"Don't call me that." She snaps. "Only people who know me get to call me that. It's not something that I want to hear from a monster."

"But.."

"Get out of my sight now." She took out a magic firework and shot it into the air. It was the same one Makarov used before. "My whole guild will be here to beat you soon. If you know what's good for you, you will leave and never show your face before me again. I won't forgive anyone who hurts my only remaining sibling."

My mouth opens and closes a few times, but I can't think of any words to say. I can't think of anything. Everything hurts too much now. My vision is blurry, so I blink hard a few times. I look at Erza, but I don't feel anything, none of my previous anger remains. I look at Lisanna and I can only feel immense guilt. Finally, I look at Mira and I can feel something break inside of me.

"I-"

"Leave." She cuts me off with a cold and firm voice, leaving no room for argument.

"Bu-"

"Leave."

I look up at her one last time, but her eyes hold nothing but disdain for me.

Slowly, Painfully, I turn away from her and walk into the woods. My feet morph back to human form and I drag them one at a time as I aimlessly wander. My arms are hanging limply at my sides and my sword is dragging across the ground.

My face feels wet and I keep needing to blink fiercely in order to see. I wipe a hand across my eyes only for it to come away completely soaked.

So that's what it was. I'm crying. I let out a soft chuckle, but it gets caught in my throat and stops after only a single syllable.

How long has it been since I've cried? I can't even remember. Maybe the first day that I was captured?

I can hear the Fairy Tail members congregating in the clearing behind me. Natsu's roar of wrath rings out across the island. I hear him running after me, so I take out my sword and teleport to the sky. Next, I teleport to the highest branch of the Tenrou tree. I don't want to fight anymore. It doesn't matter anymore.

Sitting with my back against the trunk, I curl my knees up to my chest. I fold my arms over them and bury my head in my lap.

Nobody was close enough to hear me as I wept alone.


	20. Chapter 20

It hurts.

The pain in my chest doesn't subside, even after what feels like hours of crying out my regrets.

I can't breathe.

The knot in my chest has only grown tighter. I desperately gasp for air, but I feel nothing entering my lungs. The pressure in my chest is so great that I feel like I might burst.

I'm dying.

My head is getting fuzzy from the pain and the lack of air. My vision, blurred by tears, is beginning to go dark. A primal and instinctive fear overcomes my very being.

If I don't get rid of this pressure, I really will die!

My fingers turn into blades and stab into my chest. The physical pain provides almost no release anymore. The bloodstains all over the tree branch attest to the fact that I had already overused that form of escape. This knot wasn't going to go away unless I ripped it out at the source.

My hands were buried in my chest. They had already cut through my ribs in their search for the source of that pain. When I finally grasped it, I ripped it out immediately.

In the palm of my hand was a pulsing sack of flesh and blood. I had torn out my own heart. My eyes widened with terror at the realization of what I had done. In my panic, I threw away the bloody lump and brought my hands to my chest. There was no real meaning to the action, just the instinctive human response to feel the place that you know should be injured.

Only, it wasn't injured. The gaping hole in my chest had closed up as if it were never there in the first place. The heart that should be splattered across the forest floor was beating with life within me. My body was in the peak of physical health, despite having been torn apart moments before.

That isn't natural.

All my panic and fear left in an instant and I only felt foolish for having felt it. I have had this power for years now, what's the point of freaking out now? I'm immortal, I can't die. There's no reason for me to fear death like the rest of those weaklings. I'm different. I'm not like them!

… But then, what am I?

"You're nothing more than a monster with human skin!"

A voice echoes in my mind. It's the voice of someone dear to me. Someone who completely and utterly rejected my very existence.

No! I'm not a monster! I'm a survivor, damn it! No matter what I have to do, no matter what anyone says, as long as I can survive longer than they do I will have a chance for something more. That's why I will do whatever it takes. You think that makes me a monster? The world I had to grow up in would have killed you in less than a month. I did what I had to do so that I could be here today! So that I could get what I want.

"There's nothing like that for you, is there? You're empty."

Another voice comes to me. This one grates on my nerves. It's the voice of an idealist who turns his back on all the real problems in the world so that he can be happy looking at only what he considers good.

There's nothing empty about me. I've always had a dream in my mind. A dream that I was willing to do anything and everything to obtain. As long as I held on, I would be able to get back everything that I lost. Then my heart would be so full that nobody would even dream of calling me empty. As long as I got it all back: My passion, my dreams, my joy, my adventures… My family.

"I no longer have any little brothers."

The words that had tightened the knot to an unbearable degree before ring out like an alarm in my mind. An alarm to wake me up to reality. The pain and pressure that my delusions had momentarily rid me of returned in full force at the same time.

It hurts.

I really don't have anything left…

The pain was there, but as soon as I had that thought, it began to subside ever so slightly. It's almost as if it were telling me to accept the truth. The truth that all my struggles, all my pain, all my perseverance, all of my life: every last bit of it was completely and utterly meaningless.

I became a monster so that I could one day feel human again. I emptied my heart of all its compassion so that I could receive enough love to fill it back up later. I cast aside everything that made me who I was so that I become something greater in the future. None of it made any difference once the light that I persevered for refused to accept me.

Now, everything that I have done has lost its purpose. I've lost my means to justify my actions. My excuse is gone and I can only accept the truth now.

I became a monster so that I could find some pleasure and excitement in the slaughters that I caused. I emptied my heart of its compassion so that I didn't need to feel bad about the things I had done. I cast aside everything that made me who I was because I had seen that I was too weak and naive to survive outside of the light.

Survival was the beginning and the end of my goals and dreams. That and only that was the motive behind all my actions. It had been nothing more than a childish delusion to think that I could one day enter the light. Deep in my heart, I always knew that it would never happen, and I never wanted it to happen.

The knot in my chest had loosened to the point where I can hardly even feel it anymore.

I persisted because I had hope for this world. I held onto the hope that this world was a place that would eventually give me endless excitement and stimulation. An entirely different experience from the stagnation of my previous world where everything was delegated into systems and governments. A world where everything had already been discovered and no adventure remained. I had thought that this world would offer me a kind of freedom that I could never hope to obtain in that boring place.

"The world just ain't fair, and where you're going, you can't even pretend that it is."

I finally feel like I understand the meaning behind the words that were spoken to me on the day that I had first seen a glimpse of the world outside of the light.

Everyone is just pretending.

I pretended to have hope when I knew there was none. I've seen the truth of this world time and time again, but I still held onto the hope that everything would get better with time. I pretended that I had some noble reason for surviving, but I was just terrified of dying.

Makarov pretends to be kind when that kindness truly only extends to the members of Fairy Tail. If you are a non-mage who had your house blown up by Natsu or Erza, he will give them a slap on the wrist, then pretend that everything's okay as you lose everything you own and starve on the streets.

Erza pretends to be just when she only addresses the evils that are right in front of her eyes. She knew that Jellal had kept her friends as slaves in the tower, but she wouldn't speak up about it because he had threatened to kill her friends if she did. She completely disregarded the lives of the hundreds of other slaves who would have been saved had she been willing to risk her four friends.

Mirajane pretends to love her family above all else when she turns her back on them completely at the words of an outsider. She spoke of never harming family as she attacked me. She threw me away in disgust for the things that I had done without even considering what might have happened to me if I hadn't done those things.

Everyone in this world is just pretending that it's a good place, that they are good people.

Well, I'm done pretending.

No, I no longer care about what happens to this world.

The demons of Tartaros successfully deploy Face and destroy the continent's magic? Fine, magic is the root of most problems in this shitty world anyway.

The Alvarez Empire successfully invades and Zeref acquires Fairy Heart? Good for him, I hope he can make this a better place by going back in time.

Acnologia destroys the world and all life on it before that can happen? Perfect, this rotten world deserves it.

All that has nothing to do with me anymore. What good has coming to this world done for me? What joy has it given me? What reward for my perseverance?

I have seen nothing but death.

I have received nothing but pain.

I have felt nothing at all.

What worth does a world like that hold? What meaning is there in preserving it?

I remember Elfman's face as he died. I remember his voice as he called out to me. I remember the weight of his skull in my hands. I remember the words Mirajane said to me as she rejected my very existence. I remember the agony in Lisanna's voice as my blade ran through her back. I remember the woman who was the root of all of that. I remember everything which had previously caused me to boil with emotion, whether those emotions be rage or sorrow.

I distinctly feel it all melt away into apathy.

What is the point of getting so worked up?

Mirajane Strauss and Erza Scarlet are just two more pretenders desperately turning away from the truth. Lisanna's pain is only physical, it will heal soon enough. Elfman's death means that he no longer needs to live in this accursed existence. If anything, I should be happy for him. Life in such a world can only result in despair and pain.

That being the case, why insist on clinging to it? Would it not be infinitely better to seek the release of death? To be set free from such a wretched existence?

I've already died once, I know what comes next.

After death comes rebirth. A reincarnation of your soul in a new body, in a new world. Elfman might be in such a place right now. In a world filled with true light, not the false imitation that covers this one. A world where dreams of adventure and joy are more than just hollow deceptions.

Why was I so scared of dying in the first place?

I already knew that death only leads to a new beginning. How could I not have seen that it's the perfect escape from this shitty world? A perfect escape from the pretenders.

Even as that thought hits me, my eyes pick up on the form of a black speck on the horizon. I can only barely see it due to my high position and my enhanced vision, but I already know what it is.

Acnologia has come.

A bright smile forces its way onto my face. It feels like the first genuine smile I've had in my entire life. No, in both of my lives.

Before me is the one who seeks to rid this world of pretenders. The incarnation of the only truth in this rotten world. Destruction.

I pry my eyes away to check on how the pretenders are doing.

It seems that my presence caused more changes than expected. They are still scattered around the island.

Makarov, Natsu, Grey, Gildarts, and Laxus are all fighting against Hades. Hades is losing, but he is still managing to hold on. Fairy Tail must have never gotten the information about the Devil's Heart, because the ship is still intact.

The rest of the Fairy Tail mages are either tending to the severely wounded like Erza, Lisanna, and Gajeel, or they are gathering up the corpses of the fallen.

Kain Hikaru is tied up near Fairy Tail's camp, unconscious.

Meredy and Ultear are on a small boat on the ocean, I can only barely see them.

I can't find Zeref anywhere.

None of them are prepared for the arrival of Acnologia. It seems that they won't be able to use that time-skipping ability that saved them in the story. I don't know if Mavis will be able to save them or not, but I doubt it. At least, not all of them.

It doesn't matter to me though.

My smile brightens as I stare at the rapidly approaching dragon of the apocalypse.

I'll be getting my new beginning soon enough. I don't have to keep enduring any longer. I can finally give up.

I can hear Hades calling for me to return to his side and help him, but I ignore it. He's just a pretender anyway.

I pick up my sword from my side and pull it from its sheath, which I toss away. I look at the blade for only an instant before my mind is made up.

The grey eye near the hilt slides out and falls to the forest below. My magic no longer works to sustain its life. My legs swing from the branch and I hum to myself as the process repeats itself four more times. Purple, black, blue, silver: the remaining four eyes fall to the ground below and the remaining four lives are snuffed out.

I hold out my sword with a smile. The pure white blade looks far more beautiful than ever before. Looking past the blade, I can see that Acnologia has already made it to the island.

The pretenders below are screaming and running around in a panic. Hades is even trying to start his ship, but it's all too late. They already have no other choice than to embrace the release being offered to them.

I consciously block my magic from activating as I hold my sword up to my neck.

I do feel bad for Meredy though, I shouldn't have denied her the chance for release. Oh well, she will get it eventually.

I feel tears slide down my face. I know that they are tears of joy, the joy that one gets when they obtain enlightenment.

With a quivering smile, I pull the blade and everything goes dark.

* * *

How long has it been?

How long have I been in this darkness?

Years? Decades? Centuries?

It's been an unimaginable amount of time drifting in nothing but a pitch-black void. I can't move at all. I can't see anything. I can't hear anything. I can't feel anything. This is a place of complete and utter nothingness.

I can do nothing but think, and if I could have stopped doing that, I would have a long time ago.

This wasn't supposed to happen!

Wasn't death supposed to only be a beginning, an entrance to a new life?

"What an interesting soul this one is."

Pain.

Excruciating pain racks every fiber of my being when I hear the soft-spoken androgynous voice. It's the first thing I've heard since arriving here, but I already would rather return to my solitude. The pain that that voice brings is worse than anything I've ever experienced by multitudes.

"Gifted at birth with the knowledge and wisdom of another's life, but you wasted this gift with more naivety and foolishness than any of those born without knowledge."

It hurts so much.

I try to force myself to escape it, to cover my ears, but I can't. I still can't move at all. I may not even have a body to move in the first place. I can do nothing but endure.

"In pursuit of life, you spread death. In pursuit of joy, you spread terror."

I want to pass out, to do anything to make the pain stop, but that isn't allowed here. Every word that is spoken sends a wave of agony through the very core of my being.

The only thing I can do is accept it and endure. This new existence doesn't even allow me the choice to give up.

"You lived as a slave, even though your only wish in this world was to live freely. Not a slave to any man or god, but a slave to your own narrow worldview and lack of courage."

As I am forced to fight through the pain, I try to listen to the words being spoken to me. I try to understand where exactly I am and who exactly is speaking to me.

"You struggled desperately to cling to life. Yet you, yourself, were the one to take it away."

They are talking as if they know me, but I still have no idea who they are. The pain is making it hard for me to think. I don't even really care, I just want this all to end.

"You died by your own hands when you realized what a farce your life was. You justified all your actions as part of your fight for survival, only to crumble apart from the realization that you lived for simple fear of death."

Everything they say weighs heavily upon me, not just from the pain, but from the realization as well. What they are saying is the truth, the complete and unadulterated truth behind my life.

"Even your death was a contradiction. You convinced yourself that because you had another soul's memories, death would give you another life. In truth, you were simply running away. You wished to give up on everything, but you could not bring yourself to admit it. You were one of those pretenders who you scorned to the very end."

The agony that their words inflict only increases when I try to reject them. This is a truth that I don't want to face, even though it's undeniable. I guess that very fact makes me a pretender.

"What an interesting soul you are. You're an existence defined by paradoxes."

Paradoxes, huh? I merely lied to myself. I was given a second chance at life, a reincarnation. I let this get to my head and believed that it made me special. I just couldn't get myself to let go of that belief until the very end.

"You were never reincarnated nor have you lived another life. You were nothing more than a toy of Ours, an experiment to ease Our boredom. We took the memories of another soul, a soul that had read a story that happened to be very similar to this world, and placed them inside an infant. We were curious to see what a mortal could do with such a gift."

What are they talking about? I wasn't reincarnated? They gave me the memories of another soul? Then…

"You took the memories and the knowledge, but you didn't learn anything from them. You gained a more mature attitude by mimicking that other soul, but that could not cover up the fact that you were still an infant soul. Like when one reads a book: they can see the character's life and see the growth that character makes, but they don't grow themselves because they read it. Your infant soul was still naive to anything beyond your own fantasies. Still, that was entertaining to watch in its own way."

If what they are saying is true, then nothing comes next. This- this nothingness is my new world? This is my release?

"Soul of paradoxes, do you still not understand? There is no release, this is your eternity. You were an entertaining existence, but We still most fulfill Our role. When We receive a soul, We pass judgment and either put it back in the cycle after purifying it or punish it accordingly. Your soul, while interesting, is too marred by sin to be worth purifying."

Despair fills me at the realization of exactly who is talking to me. I finally understand where I am.

"You are, unfortunately, much less interesting than Our other toy. He is an exceptional soul, but he is being punished for trying to steal from Us. He tried to take a soul from Our grasp, so we punished him by forcing upon him a cursed existence. One that can never find joy in life, but cannot obtain the so-called 'release' of death either. You, however, are not worthy of such attention from Us. Be grateful that We chose to speak with you in the first place. It is an honor you do not deserve."

Ankhserum, the god of death, is passing judgment on me. I ran away from my sins and even tried to run away from myself. Ironically, I ran straight to the thing I was trying to escape. I am now faced with the consequences of my actions. I have nowhere left to run.

"The judgment We have given you is this: For the foolish mortal who wanted a world of absolute freedom, We shall grant him one. A world with no pain, nothing to tie you down, and nothing to worry about. We grant you an eternity in a world of nothing at all."

Just as abruptly as it came, the presence leaves and I am once again alone. My five senses fail me and all I can do is think to myself. All alone, I drift in the void of emptiness.

Thus, begins my eternity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for now. I had plans to have Franmalth take his soul after he kills himself and continue to story with him taking over Franmalth's body, but unfortunately, I no longer have the time to continue writing this. In the first place, I only started writing this in my quarantine boredom, so now that school is starting for me again I no longer have a reason to do this. In the future, if I feel like it, I might pick this up again or write a sequel, but we will have to see about that.


End file.
